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Mesoamerica and Pre-Columbian America

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Various Artifacts from Mesoamerican Civilizations

Mesoamerica was the civilizations and cultures that inhabited the pre-Columbian Americas, before the 16th and 17th centuries,when the Spanish colonized the regions. Although Mesoamerica commonly refers to Central and South America, the term has also been used to describe Anasazi and theMound Builders of North America. From the oldest Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmec, which began approx. 1500 BCE, to the Aztec Empire, which ended during the 16th century, Mesoamerican civilizations flourished within the Americas, along side the Incans and other South American civilizations, the Mississippian Mound Builder civilization and Adena Civilization of North America, and the Anasazi and pueblo civilizations of the South Western portions of North America.

Geography of the Ancient AmericasEdit

A Map of Mesoamerican, Andes and Aridoamerican Civilizations

Mesoamerica, meaning "Middle America", streches from Mexico to Honduras and Costa Rica, located in Central America. Mesoamerica contained various civilizations, dating as early as 1500 BCE, the arrival of the Olmec Civilization, the Toltec, who founded many aspects of the Aztec Culture, aswell as the Mayan Chichen Itza, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Mixtec, and the Totonac.

Mound Builder CulturesEdit

A various cluster of pre-Columbian cultures in North America, known as the "Mound Builders" included the Mississipian culture, which inhabited Midwestern, Eastern, Southeastern united states, while others inhabited the Greak Lakes and Ohio. These cultures began at earilest 300 BCE, and lasted until the 16th century, building large burial mounds around 3500, approx. 1000 years before the earliest pyramids were constructed in Egypt.

South AmericaEdit

Beneath Mesoamerica the Andes and Amazon regions flourished in Pre-Columbian South America, including the Inca Empire, which streched from Peru to the Andes Mountains in Chile, to the warrior tribe of the Jivaros, Chibchas, Caral, Cambeba, Chavin,Valdivia and Polynesian explorers.

Mesoamerican CivilizationsEdit

Mesoamerica was 3000 year period in Central America that containted various civilizations and cultures sharing common beliefs technology and art styles.
Mayan Mask
A Jade Mayan Mask

The AztecsEdit

Main article: Aztec

The MayansEdit

Main article: The Maya



Main article: List of Mesoamerican Civilizations

North AmericaEdit

﻿During the Woodland period of North America, which began during the prehistoric Archaic period, from 1000 BCE
A Mississippian Artifact
to 1000 CE, various civilizations, such as the Mississippian Cultures, flourished throughout North America.

The HopewellEdit

Main article: Hopewell
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