Méso-Amerindians

The Méso-Amerindians are the inhabitants Indigène S of the Mesoamerica, territory which corresponds according to the current data to the Mexico, with the Guatemala, with the Belize, the Nicaragua, the Costa Rica and the Honduras. Some of these people formed very developed civilizations. Here some as of most famous:

Olmèques

The olmèque culture remains unknown until second half of the XIX° century. The specialists agree to fix the beginnings of the olmecology in 1862 with the fortuitous discovery of the first colossal head at Hueyapan (Veracruz) by Jose María Melgar there Serrano. Today, according to the French school promoted by C. Niederberger and taken again in particular by C. Magni, the olmèque culture seems an multi-ethnic unit and pluri-linguistics which extends from 1200 before J.C. up to 500 before J.C. on a vast part of the Mesoamerica. Its presence is attested on old levels of occupation on the Coast of the Gulf, in the Basin of Mexico City and along the Pacifique coast in the States of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas. Beyond the Mexican borders, one counts vestiges olmèques until the south of Costa Rica. Among the major sites, one can quote: San Lorenzo (Veracruz), Was windy It (Tabasco), Chalcatzingo (Morelos), Teopantecuanitlán (Guerrero) and Abaj Takalik (or Takalik Abaj) in Guatemala.

Mayas

See also: Maya People, Maya Civilization

The Maya civilization appeared towards 2600 before J. - C. but reached its apogee, called " era classique" between the 3rd century and the 10th century. The Maya empire extended then on close to 400 000 km ², it were organized according to a system of city-States. The Mayas developed a refined art of paintings (Palenque, Bonampak) and statues (Copán) as well as a monumental writing. Their religious practices included Sacrifice S human. Their knowledge of the Astronomie in particular still surprises the current scientists.

Aztec

The Aztec ones occupied the central area of the Mexico; the tradition reports that they were originating in north and that they arrived there at the 12th century. The historians think that it belong to the people Chichimèques which invade the center of the Mexico at that time. After having been several times driven out by the Toltèques, they finish by sédentariser on an small island of the lake Texcoco, at the beginning of the 14th century, which was going to become the capital of their kingdom, Tenochtitlan. The Aztec ones end up subjecting the people of the area (Chichimèques, Toltèques, Tépanèques). Thanks to their techniques of drainage and irrigation, the Aztec empire probably reaches the 6 million inhabitants before the arrival of the Spaniards. The emperor (tlatoani) had a capacity of divine origin and was appointed by a Great council (Tlacocan). The religion was polytheist; the principal gods were Huitzilopochtli (sun and war) to which one sacrificed the prisoners, Quetzalcoatl (wind), Tlaloc (rain and vegetation), Tezcatlipoca (night and dead). The Aztec Calendrier reveals great knowledge in astronomy of the Aztec scientists.

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