Early Mesoamerican Civilizations

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Early Mesoamerican Civilizations

• Olmecs and Zapotecs

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Mesoamericas Mother Culture

• Mesoamericas first known civilization builders
  were the Olmec
• They began to develop in 1200 B.C.
• Developed in southern Mexico
• Referred to as the mother culture

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Rise of Olmec Civilization

• The Olmec flourished from 1200 B.C. to 400 B.C.
• They lived along the Gulf Coast of Mexico
• The area provided abundant natural resources

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Olmec Society

• Olmecs created large stone monuments, earthen
  mounds, and pyramids
• Olmecs had a strong central religion with many
  structures and temples dedicated to it

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Jaguar Worship

• Some scholars believed that the Jaguar worship
  was meant to bring rain

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Trade and Commerce

• Olmec had a prosperous trade network throughout
  Mesoamerica
• The trade network helped boost the Olmec economy
  and spread influence to other parts of
  Mesoamerica

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Decline of the Olmec

• Scholars are unsure of the collapse
• Speculation is centered around outside invasions
• Olmec left no written records

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Zapotec Civilization Arises

• Zapotec developed southwest of the Olmecs
• They showed signs of similarities to the Olmec
• They dominated the region for over a 1,000 years

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Zapotec Organize

• By 1,000 B.C. the Zapotec began to unite and
  construct stone platforms
• They also built temples and monumental stone
  structures
• By 500 B.C. they developed early forms of
  hieroglyphic writing

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Zapotec Flourish

• Zapotec built the real first urban center in the
  Americas
• The city was called Monte Alban
• 25,000 people lived there
• However about 600 A.D. they began to decline