ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the features of the Olmec stone heads that were exaggerated for ritualistic or artistic purposes. It also explains the Mayan culture, located primarily in southern Guatemala, rose to great importance during the Classic period of Mesoamerican architecture. In the case of the Mayan temples at Tikal, visitor's report that echoes can even be heard when someone is on the ground and speaks directly at the wall of one of the temples. It is unlikely that this was planned by the temple designers, but kings and priests probably took advantage of it once it was discovered. The chapter describes the site of modern-day Mexico City, grew to a large city of close to 200,000 people. It focuses on sacrificial temple built largely as a place to offer human sacrifices, which were a major part of the Aztec religion. Some historians think Building J at Monte Alban must have been positioned to align with an astronomical event.
