The Olmec were the first major

civilization in Mexico. They lived in

The most striking art left behind by
the tropical lowlands on the Gulf of
this culture are the Olmec colossal—
Mexico in the present-day Mexican
very big—heads. Seventeen
states of Veracruz and Tabasco. The
monumental stone representations of
name Olmec is a Nahuatl—the Aztec
human heads sculpted from large
language—word; it means the rubber
basalt boulders have been unearthed
people. The Olmec might have been
in the region to date. The heads date
the first people to figure out how to
from at least before 900 BCE and are
convert latex of the rubber tree into
a distinctive feature of the Olmec
something that could be shaped,
civilization. All portray mature men
cured, and hardened. Because the
with fleshy cheeks, flat noses, and
Olmec did not have much writing
slightly crossed eyes. However, none
beyond a handful of carved glyphs—
of the heads are alike, and each
symbols—that survived, we don't
boasts a unique headdress, which
know what name the Olmec people
suggests they represent specific
gave themselves
individuals.

Mesoamerican peoples
The religion of the Olmec people
built pyramids from around 1000
significantly influenced the social
B.C. up until the time of the Spanish
development and mythological world
conquest in the early 16th century. ...
view of Mesoamerica. Scholars have
Built by the Olmecs, the first major
seen echoes of Olmec supernatural
Mesoamerican civilization (a group
in the subsequent religions and
famous for other firsts, like chocolate
mythologies of nearly all later pre-
and the use of for sports),
Columbian era Mesoamericans
the pyramid dates to between 1000
cultures.
B.C. and 400 B.C.
The Maya civilization was a
Mesoamerican civilization developed
Ancient Maya art refers to the
by the Maya peoples, and noted for
material arts of the Maya civilization,
its logosyllabic script—the most
an eastern and south-eastern
sophisticated and highly developed
Mesoamerican culture that took
writing system in pre-Columbian
shape in the course of the later
Americas—as well as for its art,
Preclassic Period. Its greatest artistic
architecture, mathematics, calendar,
flowering occurred during the seven
and astronomical system.
centuries of the Classic Period.
Mesoamerican pyramids or pyramid-
shaped structures form a prominent
part of ancient Mesoamerican
architecture. Although similar to each
other in some ways these New World
structures with their flat tops and their
stairs bear only a very weak
architectural resemblance to Egyptian
pyramids.
The traditional Maya religion of
Guatemala, Belize, western
Honduras, and the Tabasco,
Chiapas, and Yucatán regions of
Mexico is a southeastern variant of
Mesoamerican religion. As is the
case with many other contemporary
Mesoamerican religions, it results
from centuries of symbiosis with
Roman Catholicism.
The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican
culture that flourished in central
Mexico in the post-classic period from
1300 to 1521.
Mesoamerican pyramids or pyramid-
shaped structures form a prominent
part of ancient Mesoamerican
architecture. Although similar to each
other in some ways these New World
structures with their flat tops and their
stairs bear only a very weak
architectural resemblance to Egyptian
pyramids.
The Tizoc Stone which depicts on its
flat upper surface a sun-disk and
around its edge a continuous frieze
showing the Aztec king Tizoc and
other warriors capturing deities of
conquered peoples.
The Aztec religion originated from
the indigenous Aztecs of central
Mexico. Like other
Mesoamerican religions, it also has
practices like human sacrifice in
connection with
many religious festivals which is in
the Aztec calendar
The Inca Empire, also known as the
Incan Empire and the Inka Empire,
was the largest empire in pre-
Columbian America. Its political and
administrative structure is considered
by most scholars to have been the
most developed in the Americas
before Columbus' arrival.
Mesoamerican pyramids or pyramid-
shaped structures form a prominent
part of ancient Mesoamerican
architecture. Although similar to each
other in some ways these New World
structures with their flat tops and their
stairs bear only a very weak
architectural resemblance to Egyptian
pyramids.
The art of the Inca civilization of
Peru (c. 1425-1532 CE) produced
some of the finest works ever crafted
in the ancient Americas. Inca art is
best seen in highly polished
metalwork, ceramics, and, above all,
textiles, with the last being
considered the most prestigious by
the Incas themselves. Designs often
use geometrical shapes, are
standardized, and technically
accomplished. The European
invaders destroyed much of Inca art
either for sheer monetary gain or
religious reasons but enough
examples survive as testimony to the
magnificent range and skills of Inca
artists.
Religion in the Inca Empire. In the
heterogeneous Inca Empire,
polytheistic religions were practiced.
Some deities, such as Pachamama
and Viracocha, were known
throughout the empire, while others
were localised.