Ancient Americas
Ancient North, South and Central America was home to sophisticated civilizations such as the Olmec, Maya and Aztec societies. The region hosts mysterious ruins like Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, Serpent Mound, Tikal and the Nazca Lines.
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Caral was an architectural marvel—a 1,500-acre complex constructed by the oldest known civilization in the Western Hemisphere.
Three city-states joined in a fragile, but strategic alliance to wield tremendous power as the Aztec Empire.
Around A.D. 250, the Maya built flourishing cities. What triggered their decline?
These dietary staples were cultivated over thousands of years by Indigenous peoples of America.
Mayan Astronomy
Mayan Astronomy
Ancient Mayans studied the skies thousands of years before modern astronomical observatories.
3 Key Empires
Olmec
Beginning around 1500 B.C., the Olmec civilization established itself in the present-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco, reaching its cultural and economic peak around 500 B.C. The Olmecs were noted for their superb stone carvings.
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Humans around the world have been shaping heads for millennia.
The shape-shifting 'water monster' was a powerful symbol in Aztec mythology.
Was it meant to mimic sounds of sacred winds or screams?
The star of the Thanksgiving table was revered by the Maya.
The Maya, a civilization of Indigenous people in Central America, created a complex Mayan calendar and massive pyramids before their empire collapsed into ruins.
The Aztecs ruled much of Mexico from the 13th century until their conquest by Hernán Cortés in 1521.
Famous Latin American pyramids, which date back to 1,000 B.C., include the Castillo at Chichén Itzá in the Yucatan and the Inca’s great temple at Cuzco in Peru.
Architecture, agriculture, art and more first blossomed in these cultures.
Caral was an architectural marvel—a 1,500-acre complex constructed by the oldest known civilization in the Western Hemisphere.
These ancient landmarks offer insight into the civilizations of North and South America.
The Rapa Nui may have used a technique called 'parbuckling.'
Machu Picchu, an archeological site in the Andes Mountains of Peru, is believed to have been built in the 15th century as a royal estate for Incan leaders.
