cultural horizon

° Generalization of agricultural sedentary life style.
° Emergence of hierarchical societies.
° Olmec culture is the most significant of this period.

Calendar: A system of writing using glyptic symbols was developed and was inscribed on buildings, stele, artifacts and books (also called codices).

Origins: While hunters and gatherers had a presence in Central America stretching back thousands of years, it was in what archaeologists call the Pre-classic period (1800 B.C. to A.D. 250) that permanent village life really took off, leading to the creation of early Maya cities.

Economy & power: Sharer wrote that while agriculture and food gathering were a central part of daily life, the Maya had a sophisticated economy capable of supporting specialists and a system of merchants and trade routes

Culture: All the Olmec was the "mother" culture of Mesoamerica, and many aspects of Olmec culture, such as gods, glyphic writing, and artistic forms, became part of later civilizations such as the Maya and Aztecs.

Art:T he most easily recognizable pieces are the massive colossal heads, some of which are nearly ten feet tall.

Religion and Gods: The Olmec people had a well-developed religion.

Origins & Development: The Zapotecs grew from the agricultural communities which grew up in the valleys in and around Oaxaca.

Religion: The Zapotec pantheon is as rich and bewildering as any other Mesoamerican religion is to modern eyes with the standard deities for such important agencies on the human condition as rain, sun, wind, earth, and war.

° Stage in wich the arts and especially urbanism and architecture enjoyed great splendor.
° Prosperity of commerce, the power and well being of the elites.
° Increase and concentration of the population.
° Increasing division of labor, production of goods.

Region: The region where this culture first developed is called the Mixteca. It is characterized by high mountains and narrow valleys with small streams. Three zones form the Mixtec region:

-Mixteca Alta (High Mixteca) with an elevation ranging between 2500 and 2000 meters (8200-6500 feet).
-Mixteca Baja (Low Mixteca), between 1700 and 1500 m (5600-5000 ft).
-Mixteca de la Costa (Mixtec Coast) along the Pacific coast

Political Organization: Mixtec society was organized in kingdoms or city-states ruled by the king who collected tribute and services from the people with the help of his administrators who were part of the nobility

Culture: The Toltec were warriors and innovators of architecture and artistry. The importance of warfare to the Toltec can be seen in the remnants of their massive monuments.

Society: The Toltec had a hierarchical society that placed much importance on military conquest.

° The main characteristic of the Post Classic was militarisim.
° Great mobility of population of the North, political instability, dissemination of cultural elements and processes of power expansion.