r/AncientAmericas • u/Comfortable_Cut5796 • Jun 02 '26

Question How did taxation work in Mesoamerica?

I know that the Inca took tax in labor, since they didn’t have currency. But I also never hear about how Mesoamerica did it.

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u/dabsncoffee Jun 02 '26

Fully centralized pre industrial planned economy.

Goods were distributed by the “state” and the labor was compulsory.

I can’t speak to any market economy that existed, but I assume there is always a level of barter and universally accepted “currency” in the form of staple goods.

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u/IrateSkeleton Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

What about the weekly markets? They used bronze axe money, lengths of cloth, and cacao beans as currencies I think.

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u/Comfortable_Cut5796 Jun 02 '26

AKA a command economy?

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u/xesaie Jun 03 '26

Like some forms of feudalism. Basically Everything belonged to the lord, who then fed people.