Maya; Mayan (n; adj)
Mesoamerican Indians who lived in southern Mexico, Guatemala, northern Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador and developed one of the greatest civilizations of the western hemisphere. At its height (250 B.C. - A.D. 900), Mayan civilization consisted of more than 40 cities, each with a population from 5,000 to 50,000 people. These political and religious administrative centers formed independent, shifting alliances with much evidence of war, though they shared a common culture. In this way, they were similar to the competing Greek city-states of the 5th century B.C.

The Maya are renowned for their innovative methods of agriculture, monumental stone buildings and pyramid temples, gold and copper works, and system of hieroglyphic writing. The Maya also developed highly sophisticated calendars and astronomical systems. Historical records are still being deciphered from the hieroglyphic inscriptions and royal figures depicted on commemorative monuments known as stelae.

By the time the Spaniards conquered the region in the early 16th century, most of the Maya were village-dwelling farmers who practiced the religious rites of their ancestors. Modern Maya-speaking people can be found in rural areas, raising crops of corn, beans, and squash and living in communities organized around central villages.

Mimbres/Salado culture (n)
prehistoric North American people who lived mainly along the Mimbres River and the rugged Gila Mountains in what is now southwestern New Mexico. At its height (between 1000 and 1150), the Mimbres numbered about 5,000 and lived in villages comprising about 200 people each. Because of low rainfall in the region, members of this society depended on irrigation to grow maize, beans, and squash; they also hunted small game.

The art of the Mimbres/Salado culture reflects the influences of the related Casas Grandes people of northern Mexico as well as the Anasazi of northern New Mexico and Arizona. The figural forms and abstract designs found on the ceramic vessels produced by these cultures are among the most lively and sophisticated in the ancient Americas.

The Mimbres/Salado eventually dissolved as the people migrated to form new communities in association with others in the larger Pueblo cultural region of New Mexico and northern Arizona.

Moche (n)
the dominant society from the first to the eighth century A.D on the northern coast of present-day Peru. The name comes from the archaeological site known as Moche and located in the river valley of the same name. Two giant structures known as the Temple of the Sun (Huaca del Sol) and the Temple of the Moon (Huaca de la Luna) define the site. Dozens of other Moche pyramid-platform sites exist in the coastal valleys of northern Peru. Although many have been looted, others remain unexcavated.

Like other ancient American cultures, the Moche survived off of agriculture. They guided rivers flowing down from the high Andes into a system of irrigation canals, which allowed for the growth of maize, potatoes, lima beans, and other staple crops. This system of agriculture supported a dense population.

The Moche produced sophisticated art, including mold-made pottery admired for its highly naturalistic forms. These vessels–especially the fine-quality water jars with characteristic stirrup spouts–bear portrait heads of individuals, animals, plants, buildings, and fantastic beings representing supernatural forces. Painted scenes on some vessels provide visual descriptions of the complex ceremonies and daily activities of the Moche.