Day 6 -- Me So America

The First Civilizations MESOAMERICA 2000 BC- 1519 AD

Timeline of Major Mesoamerican Civilizations Preclassic Period 2000 BC-200 AD Olmec Culture (and Mayan Culture) Classic Period

200-900 AD Teotihuacan (and Mayan Centers)

Postclassic Period900-1519 AD

Major Cultural Areas

Mesoamerica -- Mexican Highlands -- Olmec Heartland -- Chalcatzingo

Colossal Head, San Lorenzo Ca. 1400900 BC

Olmec, La Venta Colossal Head

Mesoamerica -- Map -- Formative Period showing Olmec Heartland

Prominent from 900 BC-400 BC

Olmec Mosaic Pavement, La Venta

Basalt Altars

Olmec -- La Venta -- Basalt Altar showing Matthew Stirling

Mayan – Tikal Temple

Pyramid of Kukulkan

Classic Period

Toetihuacan, ca. 200 BC700 AD

Avenue of the Dead

Pyramid of the Moon

Pyramid of the Sun

Pyramid of the Moon

Avenue of the Dead

Avenue of the Dead -- View of Pyramid of the Moon with Mountain behind it

Talud-Tablero Contstruction

Avenue of the Dead

Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent

Olmec -La Venta -- Earliest known Feathered Serpent

View of Feathered Serpent Pyramid

Teotihuacan with girls in red

Feathered Serpent view along south facade

Feathered Serpent Pyramid -gargoyle of the feathered serpent

Feathered Serpent -- Sacrificial Victims

Teotihuacan – Great Goddess Mural

Jaguar Mural

Teotihuacan -- Mask ca. 300-600 AD

Mayan-Palenqu e ca. 600700 AD

Aztec Empire Dominant ca. 13001500

Sun Stone

Jaguar Warrior