USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -They built palaces and pyramids. The Toltecs were the first people to process gold, copper, and silver in Mesoamerica.

Detailed explanation-2: -One of the first civilizations we know of in Mesoamerica was the Olmec people. They lived from about 1200-400 BCE. There are very few written records to help historians fully understand this civilization. From what we do know, the Olmec thrived in the fertile lands of south-central Mexico.

Detailed explanation-3: -Mesoamerica is commonly divided into five different cultural areas: West Mexico, the Central Highlands, Oaxaca, the Gulf region, and the Maya area. The term Mesoamerica was originally coined by Paul Kirchhoff, a German-Mexican anthropologist, in 1943.

Detailed explanation-4: -Appearing around 1600 BCE, the Olmec were among the first Mesoamerican complex societies, and their culture influenced many later civilizations, like the Maya.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Maya came first. According to the Mayan calendar, the Maya claimed they began in 3114 BC; however, historians and archaeologists have had a hard time pinpointing the exact date of the Mayan civilization. Most have agreed that they likely began to settle and control their region between 2000 BC and 250 AD.