Page 97 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

1874 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

few rivers were navigable. A man could carry up to 20
Trading Patterns, kilograms with a tumpline across his forehead or shoul-

ders, and could travel approximately 24 kilometers in a
Mesoamerican day, depending on the difficulty of the terrain. Most
trade conducted in this manner over long distances
rade and exchange were ancient and pervasive involved low-weight, low-bulk, and high-value com-
Tactivities throughout Mesoamerica (much of modities such as feathers, precious stones such as
present-day Mexico and northern Central America). turquoise and jadeite, gold ornaments, shells, and deco-
The great ecological diversity of Mesoamerica, from rated textiles. In the Formative period and among the
steaming tropical forests to highland mountains and Classic Maya, goods such as these were used by the aris-
plateaus, stimulated the development of extensive spe- tocracy for social and ritual display; this trade was man-
cialization and associated exchange networks. Trading aged by the elites and its focus on elite consumption and
activities became particularly prominent with the devel- control defines it as a “prestige goods economy.” During
opment of sedentary civilizations, from as early as 1600 the more commercialized Postclassic period, Mesoamer-
BCE. Economic specialization associated with these civ- ican professional merchants served as both state agents
ilizations required that individuals and communities and private entrepreneurs. In the Mayan area (present-day
exchange their specialized production for other neces- southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize) they appear to
sary goods, while the development of hierarchical social have been of elite social standing, while in central Mex-
systems encouraged elites to gain access to specific ico they emerge as a specialized, albeit ambitious, group
status-linked luxuries, often from distant regions. The of commoners. During the period of the Aztec empire
production of surpluses also allowed individuals to (1430–1521), such merchants belonged to guildlike
exchange their excess yields or output for other goods organizations and gained considerable political favor
they did not personally produce. These processes and economic wealth.
became important in the Formative period (c. 1600 Much trade was conducted regionally and involved
BCE–250 CE) and increased during the Classic period goods of medium weight, bulk, and value. Produced in
(variably 250 CE–900 CE), becoming highly commer- specialized regions, these goods were typically carried
cialized in the Postclassic period (900 CE–1521 CE). Evi- and traded across ecological zones to areas where there
dence for trading activities during the Formative and existed a high demand for such goods and materials.The
Classic periods relies on archaeological investigations, most common products were salt (especially from north-
while rich historical records augment archaeological ern Yucatán), cacao (from coastal and southern lowland
data for unraveling Postclassic trading patterns. regions), rubber (also a lowland product), raw cotton
(from coastal regions and inland areas below approxi-
Types of Trade and Traders mately 900 meters), and obsidian (from specific volcanic
Trade in Mesoamerica was multifaceted: It was carried on outcrops in mountainous areas).These were materials of
over long and short distances; involved producers, pro- nearly universal use in Mesoamerica: salt for diet, cacao
fessional merchants, and elites; embraced utilitarian as an elite and ritual beverage, rubber for the popular ball
goods and luxuries; and took place in marketplaces and game and for use in religious ceremonies, cotton for
royal palaces. clothing and other textiles, and obsidian as a multipur-
Long-distance trade was typically the domain of the pose cutting tool and weapon. Some finished goods
full-time professional merchant. Lacking beasts of burden may also have fallen into this category; these include
and a practical use of the wheel, the transport system of plain textiles woven of cotton or maguey (fibers from
Mesoamerica relied on human backs and canoes, and agave plants), paper, reed mats, and gourd bowls. A