The Americas

The Americas came about during 2000 B.C. to 1521 A.D. This time was known for its culture of nobles and commoners, hereditary leadership, divine right, farming, and sporting events. Each event made them distinctively different from the previous time periods. They had four dominating cultures: Olmecs, Mayans-Toltecs, Aztecs, and the Incas. The Olmecs were the first dominant culture in Southern Mexico, the Mayans-Toltecs thrived in Central America, the Incas were settled in Peru, and the Aztecs were within Mexico. The geography of the four cultures were within the low lands of the humid tropical region. The mountains created extreme climate shifts. This could have been why this time period came to an abrupt halt.

Their religion was based off of human sacrifice. If they were to conquer a tribe, they would kill them off and give them up for sacrifice for their Gods. They believed in many Gods, creating a polytheistic religion. Ceremonial centers were the nuclei of the Mesoamerican settlement. Temples provided spatial orientation for the town. Pyramids were meant to stand out and represent the Gods and powers of the region.

Although there were three other thriving cultures during this time, I would like to focus on the first culture that started it all. The Olmecs thrived in 2000 B.C. to 200 B.C. They were the first major civilization in Mexico. Their culture came to a sudden, violent end. The reasoning for the halt is unknown to this day. During this time, rubber was developed and the first calendar in western hemisphere was created. They started to develop their hieroglyphic writing which sparked more realistic art work. The temple was also their focus on city type. They were popular for their Mesoamerican ballgame which ended by one team dying off. An example of a sculpture during this time is the Olmec stone head; weighting approximately 40-50 tons. Their art work consisted of delicate carvings of jade, rock crystal, and less valuable stone. Ax heads, masks, and decorative objects were also considered very considerate and appealing art. Mural paintings and pottery were also prevalent. In today's world, we can still see some of their art from that exact period. A lot of things that were made out of wood did not survive due to it being a very tropical area.

Their social ways of living consisted of highly decorated homes for the Elites. They also wore elegant jewelry and clothing. Commoners lived in homes that were primarily made out of sticks and mud. This was almost as if they lived like the Prehistoric time. Their food sources were reliable for the commoners which created a very diverse diet.

Images | Past







Images | Present





Extra Credit | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVhGSSrO5mw