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Mesoamerica as a Concept: An Archaeological View from Central America

1987; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 22; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0023879100016423

1542-4278

Winifred Creamer,

Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies

Since the term Mesoamerica was coined in 1943, it has been used widely as an inclusive analytical unit. Paul Kirchhoff's original definition was based on “geographic limits, ethnic composition, and cultural characteristics at the time of the Conquest” (Kirchhoff 1943, 94). He employed these criteria to delineate an area from northern Mexico south through Central America to the Gulf of Nicoya (1943, 98).