Postclassic Hamlet residents

interacted with people in other hamlets and in other regions to establish friendships, find mates and carry out rituals

maintained fertile soil, farming small fields for only a few years

accommodated diverse aesthetic styles and technologies brought in from outside

but . . .
They had to travel considerable distance for social interaction. Also, their fields depended solely on rainfall. In times of low rainfall, hamlets sometimes competed for limited food and supplies. As the regional population grew, competition increased, and the small hamlet groups would have had difficulty defending themselves.