Introduction: Recent research on iron-ore mirrors in Mesoamerica and Central America

This Special Section focuses on recent research centered on iron-ore mirrors in Mesoamerica and Central America. Iron-ore mirrors are rare and esoteric artifacts, mainly crafted by specialized centers in the Maya, central Mexico, and Zapotec areas from the Early Preclassic to the Postclassic. They were found in numerous archaeological sites and cultures, from the Gila River in the United States to the isthmus of Panama.In this introduction, we present a temporal, geographical, and contextual framework for the actual knowledge on mirrors, in order to fully understand the complexity and importance of the research on these prestigious artifacts. Indeed, the mirrors combine spiritual and political power in a portable and material way, giving a great insight into Mesoamerican beliefs and leading to important information on the relation between rulers of different political centers from different cultural areas.Finally, we present the articles of the Special Section and give an overview of their content and relevance to the topic. Esta seccion especial presenta la investigacion reciente sobre los espejos de mineral de hierro en Mesoamerica y Centroamerica. Los espejos de mineral de hierro son artefactos raros y esotericos, los cuales fueron elaborados a partir del preclasico temprano hasta el posclasico, principalmente en centros especializados en el area maya, zapoteca y en el centro de Mexico. Estos espejos se encontraron en numerosos sitios arqueologicos, desde el Rio Gila en Estados Unidos hasta el istmo de Panama.En esta introduccion, presentamos un marco temporal, geografico y contextual sobre el conocimiento actual de los espejos, con el fin de comprender la complejidad e importancia de la investigacion sobre estos prestigiosos artefactos. En efecto, los espejos combinan el poder espiritual y politico de manera portatil y material, mostrando elementos de la vision de las creencias mesoamericanas y aportando informacion importante sobre la relacion entre los gobernantes de centros politicos de diferentes areas culturales.Finalmente, nos referimos a los articulos de la seccion especial y damos una vision general sobre sus contenidos y relevancias en relacion con el tema.

Automated summary

This article introduces recent research on iron-ore mirrors in Mesoamerica and Central America. These mirrors are rare and esoteric artifacts, providing important insights into Mesoamerican beliefs and the relationships between rulers in different cultural areas.