c. 12th century BCE – c. 4th century BCE
The Olmecs develop the earliest known complex civilization of Mesoamerica along Mexico's Gulf Coast, known for their colossal stone heads.
Approximate date.
In the desert of southern Peru, the Nazca and earlier cultures create enormous geoglyphs on the ground, best seen in full from above.
Teotihuacan in the Valley of Mexico grows into one of the largest cities in the world of its time, with the Pyramid of the Sun and the Avenue of the Dead.
Maya city-states such as Tikal, Palenque and Calakmul reach their height in architecture, writing, astronomy and calendrics.
Many Maya cities of the southern lowlands are gradually abandoned, possibly due to drought, warfare and political crisis.
Chichén Itzá on the Yucatán Peninsula rises to become one of the most powerful Maya cities, with its famous El Castillo pyramid.
According to tradition, the Mexica (Aztecs) found Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco, the site of present-day Mexico City.