LONELY EMPIRES OF THE INDIANS

Five advanced civilizations flourished in brilliant isolation in Middle America- the term many scholars use to describe the area of Central America stretching from Mexico to the northern edge of Nicaragua-over a period of 3,500 years. Theyr first contact with Europe in 1519 was decisive and disastrous. In  a few decades their societies were swamped by the invader. Not until 300 years  later did archeologists and scholars begin to uncover and appreciate the richness of the civilizations so carelessly swept aside.’

OLMEC

First of the great ancient Middle American cultures. They dominated the coastal plain along the Gulf of  Mexico from about 1200 B.C. to about 400 B.C. Their name comes from a Nahuatl Indian word meaning “inhabitant or rubber country,” because of the rubber trees that grew in the region. They began as subsistence farmers but became  accomplished pyramid builders, using clay and earth. Their pyramid at La Venta is 100 feet high. The Olmecs were also great sculptors. Giant stone heads, some 10feet tall, and figurines and animals of jade are  Olmec legacies.

MAYA

Most enduring of the Middle American civilizations. The Mayas were a recognizable political group as early as 2000 B.C. in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Belize. Their golden age  lasted  from about  A.D. 250 to 900. Their hieroglyphic writing is only partly understood. The Mayas were superbastronomers with an advanced knowledge of mathematics and devised an accurate calendar.