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Mexico

Mexico s P

The

 Olmec

 civilization ieft

 behind artifacts suc

these

 huge heads

 carved

 from  stone

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

Many

 scienti sts

 believe that the first

settlers in what is now Mexico arrived from

the north. They believe that near the end

of the

 Ice

 Age (about  8 0 0 0   B C . tribes came

from Siberia in what is now

  Russia

  into

Alaska. They traveled  over  a piece of land

where the Bering Strait is today. This land

is  now underwater. These tribes then con

tinued to migrate south and arrived in

Mexico between  2 0 0 0  and  1000   B C

These early Indian tribes were hunt

ers and gatherers. All of their

  food

 came

from near where they camped. When the

food

 supply ran out, they moved to another

area. About  1000   B C   they discovered ag

riculture. When they began to plant crops, they could settle in one area  more permane

These early tribes formed a culture we know today as the Olmec civilization.

Olmecs settled along the central plain of Mexico and the coastal  areas  of the Gu

Mexico. The Olmec culture lasted from about   1200  until   100   B C  The civilization reac

its peak from  700  to  4 0 0   B C . The Olmecs influenced many later Indian civilizations.

The Olmec culture evolved into a well-developed civilization. They used a form

picture writing. They had a number system  and a calendar. The Olmecs also develope

form of government and religious organization. However, we do not know about the d

lives

 of the Olmecs or how the civilization ended.

Ruins  of two Olmec   cities San Lorenzo and La Venta, still exist. Archeolog

found

 many artifacts from the Olmec era in these

 cities.

 The most famous of these w

giant heads made of carved stone. The stone heads were discovered in San Lore

These

 heads are nine feet  high  and weigh about

 4 0

 tons

 each.

 The main structure dis

ered in La Venta was a volcano-shaped pyramid

 over

  110  feet

 tall.

Scientists

  believe the Altiplano tribe descended from the Olmecs. The Altipl

civilization flourished from about  2 00   B C until  A D 600.

The Altiplano built the city of Teotihuacan. It became their capital and covered

 o

eight square miles. The city once had a population of  over  1 0 0 0 0 0  people. Several s

tures of Teotihuacan remain. It is a popular tourist site today. The most famous struc

still standing in Teotihuacan is the Pyramid of the Sun. It is  2 0 0  feet  tall and as large a

base

 as the Great Pyramid in Egypt.  Other  famous structures still standing are the  P

mid of the Moon, the Temple of QuetzalcoatI (the serpent temple), and the Temple of

Jaguars.

The city of Teotihuacan was destroyed and burned in about

  A D .  7 5 0 .

 Some bel

that outside tribes invaded and destroyed the city. Others believe that the Altiplano

stroyed their own city.

Just

 as with the Olmecs, the fate of the Altiplano civilization remains a mystery

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Mexico

ex co s eop e

Name Date

Questions

 for

  onsideration

When do scientists believe tribes first came from Siberia to A laska ?

2 .

 Where was the land  they traveled

 over

 to make this early journey?

3 . When did these tribes likely arrive in what is now Mexico?

4 . What was the name of the culture formed by these early tribes?

5 . During what years did this culture reach its peak?

6 . 7 .

  Ruins of what two cities of this culture still exist?

8 .

 What now famous items of carved stone were discovered in one of these cit ies?

9 . What was the name of the second major tribe discussed in the narrative?

1 0 . When did this civilization flourish?

What was the name of their capital city?

1 2 . What is the most famous structure in this city?

1 3 .  In what year was this city destroyed?

1 4 . What happened to  both  of these famous civilizations?

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