Ancient America: Maya, Inca, Aztec and Olmec (Video)

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Pyramids in Latin America

Rise of the Pyramid-Builders Mesoamerican peoples built pyramids from around 1000 B.C. up until the time of the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century. (Egyptian pyramids are much older than American ones; the earliest Egyptian pyramid, the Pyramid of Djoser, was built in the 27 century BC). The earliest known pyramid in the Americas […]

Aztecs

Early Aztec History The exact origins of the Aztec people are uncertain, but they are believed to have begun as a northern tribe of hunter-gatherers whose name came from their homeland Aztlan, or “White Land” in the Aztec language of Nahuatl. The Aztecs were also known as the Tenochca (from which the name for their […]

Maya

Where Did the Maya Live? The Maya civilization was one of the most dominant Indigenous societies of Mesoamerica (a term used to describe Mexico and Central America before the 16th century Spanish conquest). Unlike other scattered Indigenous populations of Mesoamerica, the Maya were centered in one geographical block covering all of the Yucatan Peninsula and modern-day Guatemala; […]

Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan Pyramids Teotihuacan (also written Teotihuacán) is arranged in a grid layout that covers about 8 square miles (20 square kilometers). It contains around 2,000 single-story apartment compounds, as well as various pyramids, plazas, temples and palaces of nobles and priests. The main buildings of Teotihuacan are connected by the Avenue of the Dead (or […]

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A fall harvest of corn, pumpkins and squash.

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7 Foods Developed by Native Americans

These dietary staples were cultivated over thousands of years by Indigenous peoples of America.

The Aztec Triple Alliance: A Clever Scheme That Built an Empire; Tenochtitlán

How the Aztec Empire Was Forged Through a Triple Alliance

Three city-states joined in a fragile, but strategic alliance to wield tremendous power as the Aztec Empire.

8 Astonishing Ancient Sites in the Americas: The Nazca Lines

10 Unsolved Ancient Mysteries

Despite the best efforts of amateur and professional archeologists, the ancient world has retained many of its secrets.

Why the Maya Abandoned Their Cities

The ancient Maya, whose early settlements date back to about 2,000 B.C., lived in present-day southern Mexico and northern Central America. As a civilization, they are recognized for their sophisticated calendar systems and hieroglyphic writing, as well as their achievements in areas such as agriculture and architecture. Around A.D. 250, the Maya entered what’s now […]