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Maya Postclassic City-State Politics
In the 1440s the Yucatán Peninsula was in the Postclassic: after the Mayapán League's collapse, lineages like Cooh and Xiu competed, with coastal tra…
Timeline
- c. 1441–1445Mayapán · Yucatán PeninsulaThe Mayapán League, which had unified the Yucatán, was disintegrating; the Cooh lineage lost central control, and the peninsula entered a phase of multi-centered fragmentation.
- 1445–1449Inland Yucatán Peninsula · Yucatán PeninsulaLineages such as Xiu and Ek held territory as chiefs, maintaining a balance of power through marriage alliances, tribute, and small wars, forming the fragmented political network typical of the Postclassic.
- 1440–1449Eastern coast of Yucatán · Yucatán PeninsulaCoastal ports participated in Caribbean and Mesoamerican trade; exchange of salt, cotton cloth, and cacao gave some city-states wealth and political capital independent of inland lineages.
Sources
- The Ancient Maya — Robert J. Sharer and Loa P. Traxler (2006)
- The Fall of the Ancient Maya: Solving the Mystery of the Maya Collapse — David Webster (2002)