Early American Civilizations Timeline

By Kaitlyn Wilson
  • 30,000 BCE

    Natural land bridges formed

    Natural land bridges formed when water levels dropped.
  • 10,000 BCE

    Land bridge cover back in water

    The land bridge was once again covered in water. Leaving some hunter and gatherers in the Americas.
  • 1300 BCE

    Omlec civilization emerged

    The Omlec were the first civilization in the Americas.
  • Period: 1300 BCE to 400 BCE

    Omlec Civilization

    Lived along the gulf coast of that is present day Southern Mexico. First Americans to use stone in sculptures and architecture.
  • Period: 800 BCE to 100 BCE

    Adena People

    They were one of the first Mound Builders. They lived along the Ohio River.
  • Period: 400 BCE to 1517

    Mayan Civilization

    They came to Central America.
  • 300 BCE

    Mayan's developed their culture

    The Mayan's developed a complex culture in the forest of present day Mexico and parts of Central America.
  • Period: 200 BCE to 500

    Hopewell Mound Builder Civilization

    They lived along the Ohio River.
  • Period: 1 CE to 1300

    Anasazi people

    They were from the Four Corners region in the Southwest.
  • 200

    Anasazi culture emerged

    The Anasazi began in the Southwest. In the Four Corners region.
  • 900

    Mayan's disappeared

    There is no known reasons for their disappearance.
  • 1000

    The Cahokia people lived

    They lived along the Mississippi River and built small rounded piles of earth to bury their dead.
  • 1100

    Aztecs settled in the Valley of Mexico

  • Period: 1200 to 1521

    Aztec Civilization

    They lived in Central America and Mexico
  • 1400

    Inca empire appeared

    Inca's established their empire
  • Period: 1400 to 1572

    Inca empire

    They lived in southern Peru. They eventually conquered from present day Ecuador to central Chile.
  • 1492

    Columbus lands in the Americas

  • 1519

    Hernan Cortes led soldiers into Aztec civilization

    Hernan Cortes led his soldier in to the Aztec civilization. It led to the Aztec emperor, Montezuma's death.
  • 1521

    Aztec empire ended

    After the Spanish invaded, they brought diseases that were very deadly to the Aztecs.
  • 1532

    Inca empire weakened

    The Inca empire was weakened because of civil war.
  • 1533

    Spanish invaded the Inca

  • 1572

    Inca empire ended

    Inca's were already weakened by civil war when the Spanish invaded. It did not take long for their empire to end.

  • Nez Perce acquired horses

    After acquiring horses they became skilled horse breeders and traders.