1500 BC to 100 BC

Olmecs and Zapotecs

Maize was first domesticated in southern Mexico thousands of years before these cities rose. On the Gulf coast, the Olmecs built ceremonial centres such as San Lorenzo and La Venta and carved colossal stone heads. Their art and ideas spread across Mesoamerica. In the valley of Oaxaca, the Zapotecs founded Monte Albán around 500 BC, one of the first cities of the Americas.