Olmec & Maya Notes

  • First Americans

    • Crossed into America around 12,000 years ago during the Ice Ages.
    • New evidence suggests human inhabitants existed as early as 40,000 years ago.
    • Migrated via Beringia (land or ice bridge at the Bering Strait).

  • Hunter-Gatherers

    • Earliest humans lived as hunter-gatherers.
    • Geographic determinism: Where you live affects your lifestyle.
    • By 5000 BCE, groups in Mexico began cultivating maize.
    • Led to settlement and cultivation of beans, pumpkins, peppers, and squash.

  • Meso-American Cultures

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