ABSTRACT
This chapter tells the story of Mesoamerican civilization, from its beginnings in the mysterious Olmec culture to its climax in the Aztec civilization. The first signs of political and social complexity appeared in many parts of highland and lowland Mesoamerica between about 2000 and 1000 bc, during the so-called Preclassic era. The Olmec occupied a revered place in the legend and lore of later Mesoamerican civilizations. Kingship was at the heart of lowland Maya civilization. Maya rulers linked their actions to those of the gods and ancestors, sometimes legitimizing their descent by claiming their genealogy reflected mythical events. At the end of the eighth century, the great ceremonial centers of the Peten and the southern lowlands were abandoned, the long-count calendar was discontinued, and the structure of religious life and the state decayed. Teotihuacan's barrios have revealed intense interactions between people who knew one another well and between these tight-knit communities and the wider universe of the city itself.
