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Eva Awoyinka, Emma Wu, Wesley Kron, Gregoire Scherrer

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Stone carvings made by the Toltecs of their deities/gods

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The Toltecs created many earthen pyramids throughout their cities (the largest called Monk's Mound) 

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Located in Central Mexico. Capital at Tollan.

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Originated in 950 - and covered 16 square kilometers of land.

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Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoamerican chronology, reaching prominence from 950 to 1150 CE.

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1200 to 400 B.C The Olmecs were the first major civilization in Mexico, considered a “pristine civilization”, which means they developed on their own without large influence from neighboring civilizations. Olmec society flourished in an ancient settlement called "La Venta" from 800 to 400 B.C. The fall of the Olmec was thought to have been caused by climate change, human actions, deforestation, and/or overfarming, but is largely unknown.

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By:  Vikram Singh, Ben Kim, Natalie Nishikawa, Caden Moon 

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By:  Vikram Singh, Ben Kim, Natalie Nishikawa, Caden Moon 

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Area of southern Mexico that was once occupied by the Olmecs.

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The Olmecs resided along the gulf of Mexico

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The Olmecs were polytheistic, and they were the first Mesoamerican civilization. Olmec gods were depicted as humans with traits from reptiles, birds, and felines. They performed religious ceremonies that included bloodletting and human sacrifice, and Olmec culture influenced the Aztecs and Mayas.

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Any key intellectual or technological advances?

The Olmecs were known for their superb architecture, the concept of zero, developing a calendar, creating (a type of) hieroglyphics and are also credited with the first conduit drainage system. The Olmecs also built many great cities with stone buildings and temples (architecture)

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Art: Head sculpture, depicts individual kings or rulers.

They were great artists with stone carvings, woodcarvings, and cave paintings being their specialties. They were very advanced in architecture as well.

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Olmec-style Artifacts have been found at archeological sites outside of the mainland of Olmec civilization. Additionally, archaeologists have unearthed an ancient city influenced by Olmec culture near Mexico City, hundreds of miles away. These discoveries prove how Olmec culture has spread from the mainland and taken effect on other societies.

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The Olmecs left a Legacy that spread advancements in sculpting with ceramic and jade. They also spread the deities depicted in their art and religion (sky-dragons and a feathered-snake god) to other civilizations such as the Mayan people and the Aztecs. They had a large influence, being the first Mesoamerican civilization.

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Theo Scherer, Kevin Li, and Maya Tse

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View from the Pyramid of the Moon facing down the great Avenue of the Dead, with the Pyramid of the Sun in the distance.

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Teotihucan is located in a subvalley of the valley of Mexico, only 25 miles northeast of Modern-day Mexico city. 

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Aarush Abhyankar, Edward Kholodenko, Kyle Stutzin, Julie Zhu

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Sophie Chong
Carolina Miyazono
Michelle Ahl
Lyra Cunningham

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The Central Valleys of Oaxaca, the cradle of Zapotec civilization, are three broad valleys—Etla in the west, Ocotlán in the south, and Mitla in the east.

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The Zapotec civilization (700 BCE – 1521 CE) was an indigenous pre-Columbian civilization that flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca in Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence shows that their culture originated at least 2,500 years ago. They flourished from 500 BCE - 900 CE.

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Rohan Yadavalli, Daniela Cuadros, Lola Lagerloef, Megan Bence

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They controlled most of modern-day Mexico, specifically central Mexico and the Valley of Mexico where their capital Tenochtitlan developed

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Lasted from 1325 to 1521

1325: Aztecs established Tenochtitlan (capital) in Central Mexico

1428: Aztecs became an independent power

1434: Aztec capital created an alliance (Triple Alliance) with two other city-states (Texcoco and Tlacopan)

1502-1520: Moctezuma II, powerful king of the Aztecs; peak of Aztecs

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Roots in the Tolteca-Chichimeca people, settled in Culhuacan and began their civilization.

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The Zapotecas expressed culture through weaving, pottery, and statues. They are renowned for their weaving designs which are coveted by rug collectors worldwide and their pottery and statues, including artifacts, are prized by private collectors and museums alike. The Zapotecas were polytheistic, meaning they worshipped many gods.

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- known to be great warriors
- materialistically very advanced compared to other civilizations of the time.
- Toltec material culture includes pyramids, ball courts, and the Atlantean warrior sculptures.
- Toltecs spread their religion often through force and were organized in a military cast based on their gods.

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Toltec art - statue carved out of the stone, one of the art forms that were made by the Toltecs

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Intellectual and Artistic Characteristics: 

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Intellectual and Artistic Characteristics: 

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Known for their stone sculptures. Skilled in metalwork, weaving, and ceramics. They held ceremonies of sacrifice because gods and leaders were ruthless. Big statues carved from stone found in many cities in the Toltec area (can also be found in the Aztec civilization)

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First settlements began in 600 BCE, and the great pyramids are suspected to have been built around 100 BCE. Teotihuacan reached its height in 500 CE, and fell around 750 CE with evidence of deliberate burnings, possibly the result of a civil war.

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Much of Aztec local life depended on their Calpulli, Aztec clans that completed tasks like distributing land and sending out military units.

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The Mayans occupied a large part of the Mexican area, in the Yucatan peninsula and covered modern day El Salvador, Belize, southern Mexico, and Honduras

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The Aztecs were a polytheistic society, having over 128 major deities, often participating in human sacrifice to please their deities.

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- polytheistic
- The most important gods were Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent god, and Tezcatlipoca, the god of fire and war
- Culture was dominated by a military caste that spread the cult of their gods
- Orders that represented different animals and gods

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Technology that was created was on the island city of Tenochtitlan. Chinampas were beds of mud with cane frames that were used for agriculture on the water. They were like floating islands.

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The Zapotecs had a vast knowledge of mathematics and astronomy and were skilled at making some of the earliest complex ritual calendars in Mesoamerica. They were also great engineers and built temples, cities, ballcourts, and created an irrigation system for their crops.

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Lasted from: 1500 BCE- 900 CE
Classical Period: 200 CE-900 CE
Height of the Mayans was 900 CE
After 900 CE- The civilization declined possibly due to lack of agriculture

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Kristina Danao
Scarlett Buchanan
Brant Chung
Roham Amina

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Inti Raymi festival (The sun’s festival in Cusco).

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The Inca Civilization lasted from 1200-1533 AD. They rose in the early 1200’s and began conquering in 1438. The height was from 1493-1527 having up to 12 million people, and finally the civilization fell in 1533 due to Spanish victory.

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As seen by the map, the Incas choose to live in the Andes mountains and by the west coast of South America.

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The Incans held lots of human sacrifices in tribute to the gods. Incan houses were made of stone or mud and topped with a roof of dried grass. The Incans had features of animism and polytheism, where they worshiped nature gods which tied to their strong agricultural forces. In their customs rulers were mummified and treated as intermediaries to gods, then paraded in public during festivals.

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Include all F/L Names

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Include a map

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Origin/Height or Peak?/Fall

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Key aspects of their culture, including religion, social practices

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Any key intellectual or technological advances?

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Include a photo of any art

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Did this people influence others around them?

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What happened to this civilization?
Conquered? Assimilated?

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The Mayans were deeply religious and prayed to various gods, such as the god of sun, rain, corn, and the moon. However, religion was also based on animism, which meant everything had a soul. Leaders were based on religious ancestry, and hereditary going down the social hierarchy. Temples for these gods were built in pyramids which still stand today, and the rest of the cities were mud and stone houses. The economy was based on agriculture and the trade of various valuables like gold, silver, and jade.

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Intellectual and Artistic Characteristics 

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Intellectual and Artistic Characteristics 

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The Mayans were credited with numerous amounts of advancements in astronomy, agriculture, engineering, and communications. They developed a writing system called Mayan Hieroglyphic writing, the concept of zero, and the use of a 365-day calendar called the Haab. Art varied and included a mixture of pottery, architecture, ceramics, sculpting, and jewelry that typically depicted battles or religious aspects of life.

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The Mayans influenced many people around them through astronomy, agriculture, and mathematics. This was shown through their impressive architectural creations like the pyramids that are admired to this day. It was also portrayed through their mistake in their calendar. This influenced many to think the world would end on December 21, 2012. Their discovery of zero was also influential to the rest of the world and the advancement of mathematics.

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The Mayans declined slowly after 900 CE most likely due to overpopulation and a change in the environment along with potential warfare since they were militant people. As shortages of water became more common, so did crop failure which contributed to deforestation. The Mayans spread into cities in the lowlands and highlands that grew in importance but were eventually conquered by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500s

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The Zapotec influenced societies around them and interacted with the Spanish after they arrived in Mesoamerica. The Spanish learned about new foods, culture, and ways of life after interacting with these people. Their calendar and way of writing were a big influence on other Mesoamerican civilizations, including the Aztecs.

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The culture of Teotihuacan revolved largely around religion and the revered deities, especially The Feathered Serpent, a common aspect in many Mesoamerican societies, appearing as Quetzalcoatl among the Aztecs. Excavations have revealed ritual sacrifices of warriors and large religious ceremonies, which are likely the uses for the famous pyramids. There is evidence that the city was multicultural, containing people of many different Mesoamerican cultures who lived and worked together. The language, system of government, and how they managed to build the civilization are still unknown, but their wealth and power are evident.

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The city complex was said to have had a complex irrigation system supplied by spring water that kept their farming areas rich for their farming of maize, beans, and more. Like other Mesoamerican civilizations, Teotihuacan specialized in the production and manufacturing of obsidian, which they used to make arrowheads, jewelry, figurines and other ornaments. The processing of obsidian was monopolized and became the most important industry of the city. Interestingly, the Teotihuacan was not militaristic like the Toltecs or Aztecs.

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The Toltecs had much trade and military influence, as well as cultural influence. This empire also began the rise of militarism in Mesoamerica. They also influenced large-scale terraced agriculture, developed higher-quality ceramics, and expanded religious practices like human sacrifices.

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Teotihuacan architectural design was very distinctive,  employing a combination of steps and slopes in the construction of their pyramids. Many artifacts and remains were found inside the buildings such as statues, sculptures, pottery, and more. In particular, Teotihuacan was known for leaving many of obsidian artifacts. Other artifacts include very polished and detailed stone masks of jade, basalt, and greenstone. Finally, murals displaying scenery and Teotihuacan history were plastered around the pyramids and buildings.  However, most Teotihuacan artifacts did not have depictions of their rulers, instead depicting gods or animals. This shows how the Teotihuacan were less centralized.

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Teotihuacan is regarded as the most influencial city in the history of the ancient Americas, as its architecture, art, and religion were extremely important. Many of its characteristics were borrowed and used in other civilizations such as the Aztecs and Toltecs.

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There are many theories about what led to the collapse of the city complex of Teotihuacan, but recent evidence suggests that internal uprising from the poor lower class against the elite, leading to many major buildings being burned and artworks and sculptures getting destroyed.

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1150 - The Toltecs fell due to invasion from the nomadic Chichimec people, who are also known as Aztecs or Mexicas.

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This civilization did not have a writing system for their language, however, they expressed their art through weaving cloth as an art form. These also had political and religious significance, as well as making lots of pottery and metal working.

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The Incas created innovative techniques to cultivate crops in challenging environments, specifically relevant to agriculture. Some innovations like terraces were made to prevent soil erosion.

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The Aztecs had influences on Mexican culture. Their Nahuatl language is still spoken in parts of Mexico. Mexican festivals such as the day of the dead are based on Aztec culture.

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The writing system the Zapotec created is thought to be one of the first writing systems of Mesoamerica and a predecessor of those developed by the Maya, Mixtec, and Aztec civilizations. The seven Zapotec languages, and hundreds of Zapotec dialects, still survive with populations that have spread throughout Mexico and also Los Angeles, California.

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Arianna Ghose
Vaasu Patel

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The entrance of Spanish Conquistadors was the end of the Aztec, similar to almost all of Mesoamerica and established the state of New Spain.

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The Mixtec civilization lasted from the years 1500 BC to 1523 AD. The Mixtec civilization entered the Mexican valley called Oaxaca in around 1100 CE. In the mid-1400s, the Mixtec civilization was conquered by the Aztecs. A reason why the Mixtec/Aztec civilization fell is because of Spanish invaders and the Spanish disease "smallpox". But then middle of the 16th century, the Spanish conquered the Mixtec civilization

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The Mixtecs were known as skilled at metalworking and jewelry making. They created a calendar, a glyph writing system, and a series of codices. Gold and turquoise was prevalent in their jewelry, and their pieces were later used as tribute to the Aztecs when they were conquered by them. The Mixtecs worshipped natural elements  like the sun, life, death, and rain. The deity Dzahui, the mixtec god of rain, was one of the most celebrated. They also participated in blood sacrifice of their tongues or ears to please their gods.

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One of the intellectual aspects of the Mixtec people was that they invented their own weapons such as bows and arrows. Another intellectual aspect of the Mixtec people were that had an exceptional mastery of jewelry. This jewelry made by the Mixtec goldsmiths was used to pay the Aztecs during parts of their history. The Mixtences were also well known for their writing

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The Mixtecs influenced many in regards to their political systems, traditions and culture into colonial and modern Mexico. They also influenced other civilizations in their time with their focus on metalworking and the mixtec calendar that features a 260 day year. The Mixtecs were regarded as the the "foremost goldsmiths of Mesoamerica". They also left behind a long series of written history, codices, that were used as influence on other civilizations.

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Around the 16th century, the Mixtec empire was conquered by by the Spanish and their own allies. The Mixtecs were forced to convert to Catholicism