Tlatilco

c. 1800–400 B.C.E.

Tlatilco culture, known for their small ceramic figures, flourished thousands of years before the better-known Aztecs.

Olmec

c. 1200–400 B.C.E.

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The Olmec are known as the first sophisticated society — even the much later Aztec looked back with reverence.

West Mexico

500 B.C.E–500 C.E.

The culture area of West Mexico is both the modern state of Guerrero in the south and the states of Colima, Jalisco, and Nayarit to the north

Zapotec

c. 600 B.C.E.–900 C.E.

The Zapotecs flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca, where they also developed the impressive hilltop site of Monte Albán

Sierra de San Francisco

c. 100 B.C.E.–1300 C.E.

With one of the best collections of rock art in the world, the Sierra de San Francisco (in the El Vizcaino reserve, in Baja California) was home to a sophisticated culture

Teotihuacan

c. 50–700 C.E.

By the 6th century, Teotihuacan was the first large metropolis in the Americas with grand pyramids and wide avenues.

Classic Veracruz culture

c. 1–900 C.E.

Classic Veracruz culture drew on Olmec precedents. Their cities mix ornate pyramids with elaborate ball-courts.

Maya

1000 B.C.E.–1521 C.E.

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The brilliant Maya legacy ranges from intricately carved monolithic sculptures to complex mural cycles.

Xochicalo

c. 700–900 C.E.

An urban center in central Mexico that prospered in the Epiclassic period, it had connections to the Maya region and Teotihuacan

Cholula

c. 200 B.C.E.–1500 C.E.

Cholula was one of the most important religious centers in Mesoamerica, and was also home to a massive pyramid.

Huastec

c. 2000 B.C.E.–1521 C.E.

The Huastecs were a distinct and long-lived culture centered on the Gulf Coast and known for their figural sculpture.

Mixtec

c. 900–1521 C.E.

The Mixtecs were a major Mesoamerican civilization with a distinct language and culture.

Paquimé (Casas Grandes)

c. 1150–1350 C.E.

A flourishing trade site that was part of the Mogollon culture, which had connections with the southwestern U.S. and Mesoamerica to the south.

Aztec

1325–1521 C.E.

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The Aztecs founded their capital city of Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City) in 1325, establishing a powerful empire that controlled much of central Mexico until the arrival of the Spanish.