Civilizations of Mesoamerica and the Mississippi River Valley

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Mesoamerica

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A region in the Americas that includes Mexico and parts of Central America where ancient civilizations, like the Maya and Aztec, lived.

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Mississippian Culture

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A Native American culture in the Mississippi River Valley (800–1600 CE) known for building large earth mounds and farming.

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Aztec

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A powerful civilization in central Mexico (1300s–1500s) that built the city of Tenochtitlan and created a large empire before being conquered by Spain.

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Incas

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A South American civilization in the Andes Mountains (1400s–1500s) that built roads, terraces for farming, and the famous site Machu Picchu.

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Mayans

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A Mesoamerican people (2000 BCE–1500 CE) known for their writing system, calendars, pyramids, and cities like Chichen Itza.

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Toltec

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A civilization in central Mexico (900–1100 CE) known for warriors, trade, and influence on later cultures like the Aztecs.

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Olmecs

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The earliest Mesoamerican civilization (1200–400 BCE), often called the "Mother Culture," known for giant stone head statues.

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Cahokia

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A major Mississippian city near present-day St. Louis, Missouri, with huge earthen mounds, including Monk’s Mound.

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Teotihuacan

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An ancient city in Mexico (100 BCE–550 CE) with massive pyramids, such as the Pyramid of the Sun, and an organized layout.

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Tenochtitlan

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The capital city of the Aztec Empire, built on a lake island in present-day Mexico City.