Mesoamerica General Information Ancient Mesoamerican Series

Olmec - Toltec
The term, Aztec is the The earliest we know about
term that most his- the Mexica is that they mi-
torian use to describe grated from the north into
the culture that domi- the Valley of Mexico as
nated the Valley of early as the twelfth century
Mexico in the fifteenth AD, well after the close For everything you need to know about planning your visit
and sixteenth centu- of the Classic Period in to the Museum, including admissions, directions, and park-
ries. All the Nahua- Mesoamerica. They were a ing, please see the Visitor Information area of our site.
speaking peoples in subject and abject people,
the Valley of Mexico forced to live on the For general information and current exhibition schedules
were Aztecs, Turquoise Mask of worst lands in the valley. call (212) 769-5100 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or e-mail
while the culture that Xiuhtecuhtli the god of fire They adopted the cultural Visitor Information. For advance reservations for special
dominated the area patterns that originated exhibitions, films, and lectures, call (212) 769-5200 (9:00am
was a tribe of the Mexica called the in the culture of Teotihuacán, so - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday) or e-mail Tickets.
Tenochca. At the time of the Euro- the urban culture
pean conquest, they called them- they built in the
selves either “Tenochca” or “Toltec,” fifteenth and
which was the name assumed by sixteenth
the bearers of the Classic Meso- centuries is
american culture. essentially a
continuation
of Teotihuacán American Museum of Natural History
culture.
Central Park West at 79th Street
New York, NY 10024-5192 April 1st - October 31st 2010

Aerial view of Teotihuacán 100 BCE–750 CE.

American Museum of Natural History
Olmecs
The earliest civilization in Central
America—and possibly the earliest
civilization in the Americas—was
the Olmec civilization which arose
sometime between 1200 and 1000
BC. They originally lived in the Gulf
Coast region of southern Mexico,
but soon expanded into Guatemala.
Olmec society was very simple. It
was essentially divided into two
groups: the elite group lived in the
small urban centers and the com-
mon people lived in the rural areas. The most dramatic achievement
The Olmecs were overwhelmingly
an agricultural people.The elite
lived off of the agriculture of the
common people, but they
probably didn’t rule over
the agricultural popu-
lations. Instead, they
carried out religious
ceremonies centered
in the towns and
carried out commercial
trade in luxury and
Kunz Axe
artistic items.
A giant Olmec
head of a warrior
at La Venta
of the Olmecs were the building of
massive stone heads. We aren’t sure
who is represented by these heads,
but archaeologists believe that
they may be Olmec kings. Around
300 BC, the Olmec vanished for
reasons that vanished with them.
We do know, however, that much
of their culture and social structure
was absorbed by other peoples. The
Olmecs, as far as we can tell, are the
first chain in the development of
Mesoamerican culture.
History
Toltec
The history of the Tenochca is among Aztec
the best preserved of the Mesoameri- Death
The peoples of Mesoamerica distin- cans. They date the beginning of their God
guished between two types of people: history to 1168 and their origins to an
the Toltec (which means “craftsman”), island in the middle of a lake north
who continued Classic urban culture, of the Valley of Mexico. Their god,
and the Chichimec, or wild people, who Huitzilopochtli, commanded them on a
settled Mesoamerica from the north. journey to the south and they arrived
The Mexica were, then, originally in the Valley of Mexico in 1248. Accord-
Chichimec when they migrated into ing to their history, the Tenochca were
Mexico, but eventually became Toltecs originally peaceful, but their Chichimec
proper. ways, especially their practice of
human sacrifice, revolted
other peoples who banded
together and crushed The history of the Tenochca is among
their tribe. the best preserved of the Mesoameri-
cans. They date the beginning of their
Temple I, 732 CE. history to 1168 and their origins to an is-
Ballplayer, Mexico, land in the middle of a lake north of the
700–900 CE. Valley of Mexico. Their god, Huitzilo-
pochtli, commanded them on a journey
to the south and they arrived in the Val-
ley of Mexico in 1248. According to their
history, the Tenochca were originally
peaceful, but their Chichimec way
A life size eagle
warrior ceramic
effigy