![[Cabeza_Colosal_nº1_del_Museo_Xalapa.jpg]] In Central America, the Olmec civilization rose about 3,500 years ago. Instead of a unified political structure, the Olmecs seem to have preferred a decentralized network of ceremonial centers with populations of between 10,000 and 20,000, built by farmers who grew corn, beans, and squash. At their peak, around 900 BCE, Olmec trade networks extended hundreds of miles and their art included carved basalt heads weighing from six to fifty tons. The Maya civilization seems to have followed the Olmec and adopted some of their culture. Early sites like Cuello (Belize) date back to about 1200 BCE. Nakbe (Guatemala) was established around 1000 BCE and temple construction began about 750 BCE. The earliest known Maya pyramid may be the Temple of the Masks in Uaxactun. ![[Uaxactun2 1.jpg]] *Temple of the Masks* ----- Next: [[5.19 - Axial Age]] Back: [[5.17 - South America]]