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Mexico
The Aztecs
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The Olmecs
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The Aztecs was a civilization with nahuatl language that come from the Mexico
valley around the XIIIth century AC . On 1369, they founded the city of
Tenochtitlan on over the marsh place within the Texcoco lac.
This is the known city of Mexico. At that time, they conquered more than 50
small cities located on the Mexico valley. The arrow shows the direction of the
Aztecs expansionism. In fact, the Aztecs could control a big partie of
Central Mexico, Pacific zones and up to the Gulf of Mexico.
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The Olmecs were an old and durable civilization with a zone of influence from
the actual Tabasco state until the nord of Veracruz state all along the Gulf coast.
Their tongue is still unknown and their role in Mesoamerica history is still a
controversial subject. However, it seems that the Olmecs were the first to found
a society dominated by a elite class and build important urban and ritual centers
such as San Lorenzo (from 1200 to 900 BC and La Venta (from 900 to 400 BC)
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The Mayas
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The Maya area can be divided into three zones :
the mountain region of the Pacific coast, the arid Yucatan plateau
and the plains of Guatemala and Honduras. The oldest known maya sites
are located on the high lands and are from the 2nd millenium BC.
Around 1000 BC, they migrated to the region of Guatemala near the Pasion River.
The Maya civilization of classic period (300 to 900 AD) never succeed to have
their political unit.
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Les Totonaques
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Cempoala, capital of the Totonac kingdom
was known as El Totonacapan, it was the first big city of
Mesoamerica reached by Cortez and his troops during the expedition
to the New World in 1519. Located at the heart of a humid plain,
at south east of El Tajin, Cempoala can be proud to have about 100,000 inhabitants
and have an elaborated irrigation system used to control the flooding.
When Cortez arrived, El Totonacapan, vassal of the Aztec empire,
joined the spain invaders and figt against the Aztecs.
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The Mixtecs
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The Zapotecs
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Pushed back to the south by the expansion of Toltec empire, the Mixtecs
invade the Zapotec area and around the XIth century they were a powerfull kingdom.
Their history is known thanks to the existence of eight chronological and genealogical Codex.
So, we know that in 1497, the Mixtecs became allies with the Zapotec king Cocijoeza in order
to struggle against the Aztecs who were defeated. The the Oaxaca area was dominated by the Aztecs,
many mixtecs handcrafters were obliged to go work to Tenochtitlan.
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The Zapotecs were the builder of Monte Alban, big city in the Oaxaca area
whith high power arounf IIIth century AD. It was conquered by the Mixtecs about VIIIth century
AD. It covered an area about 40 Km2 but it never could have the high
population density as in Teotihuacan. The city is well known by its many temples,
esplanades and numerous underground subways, most of them built over the older ones.
Even with the Mixtec invasion, the Zapotecs kept their own culture.
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