Abstract :
The role of human ecology in a Mesoamerican context requires both rigor and imagination to assess the sophistication and accomplishment
of the many diverse groups sharing its varied resources. Three overlapping and complementary ecological orientations from recent
literature found generally elsewhere—outside the culture area—are (1) resilience and vulnerability of communities and their landscapes,
(2) economic tasking logics, and (3) complexity trajectories. Mesoamerica charted a unique economic, political, and ideological course
when compared to the Old World, one significantly affected by its environmental opportunities and constraints. Brief attention is given
to lessons learned.
