Pre-Teotihuacan Valley of Mexico civilizations and city's founding around 100 BCE. The Archaic period in Mexico begins around 8000 BCE with hunting and gathering, followed by the adoption of agriculture (corn, beans, squash). Ceramics begin in Mexico around 1800 BCE, coinciding with permanent settlements. Four major hotspots of growth emerged: Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, and Valley of Mexico regions, with urban centers starting around 1200 BCE.
Mexico's Archaic period began ~8000 BCE with hunting and gathering. Ceramics appeared ~1800 BCE. Four cultural hotspots emerged: Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Valley of Mexico. Tlatilco led the Valley, trading with Olmecs. Cuicuilco reached 20,000 by 200 BCE. Around 100 BCE, Teotihuacan Valley villages merged.
Key Facts
- The Archaic period in Mexico begins around 8000 BCE with hunting and gathering, followed by the adoption of agriculture (corn, beans, squash).
- Ceramics begin in Mexico around 1800 BCE, coinciding with permanent settlements.
- Four major hotspots of growth emerged: Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, and Valley of Mexico regions, with urban centers starting around 1200 BCE.
- Tlatilco civilization, known from type sites Tlatilco and Tlapacoya, was the first to develop in the Valley of Mexico and traded with the Olmecs.
- Cuicuilco, built on the southern shore of Lake Texcoco starting around 800 BCE, grew to a population of 20,000 by 200 BCE.
- Teotihuacan began around 100 BCE as a small cluster of villages in the Teotihuacan Valley that coalesced into one community.
Related site: Teotihuacan — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The Real Origins of Teotihuacan? by Archaeologist Ed Barnhart