Mesoamerica and Complex societies

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which theory played the biggest part in transformation? Why did it occur in Mesoamerica?

Mesoamerica went through a radical transformation since the adaptation of agriculture from their hunter-gather societies into reformed Mayan city states under the control of political hierarchies. The authenticities of these leaders was determined by surplus of goods, particularly maize which was a significant part of their culture and religious connections to the Mayan gods, goddesses and deities. This transformation initiated from Pre-Olmec Period to the Late Classic Maya Period. During this transformation period, Mesoamerica adopted new technology, implemented social identities and political reforms, established symbolic and religious meanings and improved intercity relations which all coincided with the systems theory used in processual archaeology. State complex was achieved at the beginning of Maya civilisation with the agricultural surplus allowing craft specialisation to occur.

The transformation between the simple hunter-gathers society and the complex Mayan state occurred from the Pre-Olmec Period between 1200 and 400 BC to the Late Classic Maya society between AD 700 and 800.The Pre-Olmec Period signified pre-complex society due to the structure of egalitarianism and diversity in cultures, this is significantly different to the Maya society that witness not only the upheave of literature, counting system, religious ideology and political hierarchy. What is significant about this era is these innovations not only created social classes and allowed high upkeep for large population densities, they were able to unify the geopolitical sphere of cities under the same language and belief system through accepted iconography in art repre...

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...se of their society. Academia has provided a variety of theories in how complex societies came to be but agricultural surplus and its effect on craft specialisation still stands out as the most supported explanation.

Mesoamerica changed from small hunting-gathering societies with agriculture supplementing their diets to being a complex society with established sovereignties, an accepted ritualistic religion that coincided with political influences and a boom in technology with specialisation in various sorts of tasks due to the surplus of substance from intensive agriculture. This affluent society that Childe mentions also say a dawning of social and gender division as specific roles were inherited into the system. Maya civilisation peaked with complexity and this was a result of surplus in food and expertise new areas of society that were previously ignored.

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