The Americas did not experience significant cultural diffusion from Europe, Africa, and Asia

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The Americasdid not experience

significantcultural diffusion

from Europe, Africa, and Asiauntil 1492 A.D.The Americasexperiencedgeographic

isolation.

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As a resultof isolation,there was a

very limited useof writingand an absence

of large animalsfor transportation

in theAmericas.

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But isolation did not prevent the rise of civilization. The Olmecs developed an early civilization

between 1150 B.C. and 600 B.C.

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The Olmecs cultivated maize or corn,built large sculptures of human heads, developed a calendar, and had a writingsystem.

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However,classical

civilizationin the

Americasbelongs To the Mayas

who lived in southern

Mexico and Guatemala.

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The Mayaslived in

present-dayGuatemala

and southernMexico from250 A.D. until900 A.D. TheMayas were

very advanced.

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Underdifficult

geographiccircumstances,

the Mayasfarmed

successfullyand builtbeautiful

cities.

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It was difficult to farm in the rainforests of Central America but the Mayas

engaged in slash and burn farming.

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TheMayas

developeda

writingsystem.

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Mayan priests studied theplanets and stars.

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The Mayasdeveloped

anaccuratecalendar.

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The Mayasdevelopeda countingsystem and

even inventedthe concept of

zero.

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The Mayas lived in city-states. Thecity-states never united. A large

temple pyramid stood in themiddle of each city.

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Tradewasvery

importantto the Mayas.

TheMayastraded

extensively.

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But theMayas abandonedtheir cities around900 A.D. Perhapstoo much fighting

between theMayan city-states

led to their decline.