The altepetl was the principal unit of settlement organisation in precolonial Mesoamerica. A unification of the elements atl (water) and tepetl (mountain) in Nahuatl, equivalents of the altepetl exist in Indigenous languages and communities across Mesoamerica. The significance of this entity extends far beyond its physical manifestation on the landscape and can be understood as both a reflection and creator of landscape, deeply rooted in Mesoamerican Indigenous community worldviews, histories, and identities. The early colonial period of Spanish rule, extending from the conquest of Tenochtitlan in central Mexico in 1521, saw considerable changes to the conformation of Indigenous communities and Mesoamerican landscapes. Tracing the full extent of these transformations—and, conversely, any continuities—is fraught with challenges. Existing studies have thus far relied on small-scale case studies of individual or small collections of altepeme. This thesis seizes upon new opportunities to trace the altepetl as a concept at multiple scales. With advances in technological approaches, historical textual corpora such as the Relaciones Geográficas de la Nueva España (RGs) can now be queried at a large and distant scale. Adopting an interdisciplinary and mixed methods approach, this thesis queries the extent to which it is possible to trace a complex entity such as the altepetl across a period of transformation. To do so, it presents 1) a new synthesis of research situating the altepetl—and landscape—within Mesoamerican Indigenous cosmovision; 2) a pilot study testing the validity of placing interdisciplinary and digital approaches in dialogue with complex qualitative concepts; and 3) a case study of an altepetl (Tepeapulco) identified by this research as an unexpected notable actor in a Social Network Analysis of the RGs. Prioritising the altepetl’s complexity fundamentally shapes this thesis’ research design and demonstrates the capacity for Digital Humanities approaches to successfully encompass and query complex historical concepts.