Central American Military History

"Reproduction of Bonampak murals (panorama)" Museo Nacional de Antropología

Multipurpose Mounds

     Among the Teuchitlán culture of Medieval west central Mexico, raised-earth mounds serves as critical components of daily life. Archaeologists still debate the full extent of what activities occurred on these mounds, but it's likely that residents used them to grow a unique strain of maize critical to feeding their growing cities. Upon these mounds occurred farm more that agriculture however. Weddings, communal feasts, music and dancing events, and even battles took place over these important mounds. That may relate to the culture's association with the connection between war, agriculture, and the sun, as warriors among the Teuchitlán would be buried on the eastern edge of burial tombs to great the sunrise from the afterlife.

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"Teotihuacán-style mask, Classical period." [Artist Unknown]

Smoking Frog Mystery

     Hotly contested by archaeologists and historians today is the debate over how the city-state of Teotihuacan came to dominate the political landscape of Late Classical Maya cities. What is know is that a Teotihuacano general named Siyaj K'ak (meaning "Born is Fire") aka "Smoking Frog" was at the center of this major change. During the 4th Century CE, Siyaj S'ak- always depicted in the uniform of a Teotihuacano warrior- was at the center of major political change in the Mexican Highlands where local authorities rapidly lost their autonomy to Teotihuacano influence.     Because of the rapid change in the political landscape and the depiction of Siyaj S'ak as a warrior in all records, most historians point to a rapid military campaign to bring the Maya city-states of the region under Teotihuacano influence as tributaries to a growing Central Mexican power-base. Whether through war or peace, what is known is that Siyaj S'ak used his power and influence to also make changes back in Teotihuacan where architectural styles began to change to imitate the architecture of the Maya cities they annexed; suggestion the answer to what happened between Teotihuacan and the city-states they annexed may be more complicated than it seems.

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"Ek Chuaj, The Merchant Deity (God M)" [Artist Unknown]

A Divine Chocolate War

     The Pre-Classic Maya of Medieval Mesoamerica worshipped several gods- including multiple gods of war, but one in particular was especially delectable. Ek Chuaj was a god of war who served as a patron of commerce and- of all things- chocolate. This may seem strange, but commerce, violence, and chocolate all interconnected during Medieval Mesoamerica.

     During the era, cacao was a valuable trade commodity, and merchants often had to carry spears with them for self defense while traversing the merchant paths connecting Maya city-states. Cacao was so valuable that it frequently served as currency during the era. That might be why there were annual chocolate festivals merchants hosted as a way to incur the god's protection on their next journey to market.

     Even more fascinating is who Ek Chuaj's arch-nemesis was. A fellow war god, Buluk Chabtan was a war god of sudden death and violence; and art depicting Ek Chuaj often depicts him in conflict with Buluk Chabtan suggesting Ek Chuaj may have been a guarding for merchants from the violence of Central American warlords.

     War and chocolate were not unique to Medieval Mesoamerica either. Chocolate has since become a major cash crop on the international market. With slavery back on the rise across the globe, agriculture has become a major source of the growing rates of slavery- especially in the production of coffee, tea, and chocolate. Perhaps more than ever, this chocolate god devoted to protecting the supply chain of chocolate producers is needed to once again protect the vulnerable farm workers involved in producing this divinely delicious dessert.

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A Dangerous Game of War

     Perhaps the most famous sport from Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica was a ball-sport probably invented by the Olmecs that involved two teams of athletes fighting over which team could be the first to lob a rubber ball through a suspended, vertical hoop. The game's symbology relates to Mesoamerican mythology involving two warrior twin brothers who challenge the gods of the underworld to the game in order to bring their father's soul back to the land of the living. While the game may have had mythological connections to war, the Maya made the connection real when they forced prisoners of war to play the game. Not only would the losing team be sacrificed to the gods, but the winning team's captain would also lose his head.