Mesoamerican civilization: Did you mean...?

Tláloc (pron. Tla-loc) is one of the most important and formidable gods in the Aztec pantheon. He was considered the god of rain, water, lightning and agriculture. Tlaloc was seen as both a benevolent god providing life-giving rain but also...

Agriculture arose independently at several locations across the world, beginning about 12,000 years ago. The first crops and livestock were domesticated in six rather diffuse areas including the Near East, China, Southeast Asia, and Africa...

Xiuhtecuhtli or 'Turquoise Lord' was the Aztec god of fire and also closely associated with young warriors and rulers. To the Maya he was known as Chac Xiutei. Xiuhtecuhtli was the patron of the day Atl (water) and the trecena period 1 Coatl...

This map illustrates the Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Civilization, Indus-Sarasvati Civilization). Thriving from around 3300 to 1300 BCE, it was one of the earliest known urban societies situated in what is now Pakistan and northwest...

This map illustrates the rise and extent of the Olmec civilization, which flourished from around 1200 to 400 BCE (the earliest Olmec finds near the San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán sites, date back to c.1600) in the present-day Gulf Coast in the...

Maya architecture is best characterized by the soaring pyramid temples and ornate palaces which were built in all Maya centres across Mesoamerica from El Tajin in the north to Copan in the south. The Maya civilization was formed of independent...

The stone head sculptures of the Olmec civilization of the Gulf Coast of Mexico (1200 BCE - 400 BCE) are amongst the most mysterious and debated artefacts from the ancient world. The most agreed upon theory is that, because of their unique...

A map showing the extent of the Chavin civilization (900-200 BCE) and its religious centre Chavin de Huantar, a celebrated site of pilgrimage.

The Aztec culture, centred at the capital of Tenochtitlan, dominated most of Mesoamerica in the 15th-16th centuries. With military conquest and trade expansion, the art of the Aztecs also spread, helping the Aztec civilization achieve a cultural...

An artist's impression of Harappa and the Indus Valley Civilization, depicting fields and cities in ancient India. Created by Amplitude Studios for the video game Humankind.