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Period: 20,000 BCE to 1500
The World Before 1500
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15,000 BCE
First humans enter the Americas
The earliest known humans in the Americas are thought to have crossed the Bering land bridge between modern Russia and Alaska roughly 16,500 years ago -
8000 BCE
The Last Ice Age Ends
Warming of global temperatures led to the end of the Ice Age around 8000 B.C. This led to lands previously covered by extensive glaciers being traversable and created a large amount of new land becoming available for settling by humans. -
8000 BCE
The Agricultural Revolutions In America
As the world began to warm up after the Ice Age, the Agricultural Revolution in the Americas began. During this time period, the early Americans discovered farming which eventually led to the beginning of modern civilization. -
1200 BCE
The Beginning of the Olmec Civilization
The Olmec Civilization is known as the ¨mother culture¨ of all Mesoamerican societies because of their influence on the Mesoamerican art, religion, agriculture, and social organization. -
900 BCE
The End of The Mayan Civilization
Around 900 BC, the Mayan civilization began to collapse. The cause is unknown and considered to be "mysterious". Archaeologists and scientists believe the possible causes of the Mayan decline were due to drought, warfare, or environment exhaustion. -
500 BCE
The Beginning of the Mound Builder Civilizations
The Mound Builders were made of two clans. Those two clans were the Adena (c.500-100 B.C.) and the Hopewell (100 B.C-100 A.D.). They lived in small villages that were governed by clans. They were called Mound Builders because they build large earthen mounds to bury their dead clan members. -
400 BCE
The End of The Olmec Civilization
It is still unclear as to what happened to the Olmec civilization but there are some probable causes like crop failure, natural disasters, and warfare. -
400 BCE
The Beginning of the Mayan Civilization
As the Olmec civilization declined, the Mayan civilization was beginning. The Mayans created many things. They created religious centers that later grew into city-states (during the Mayan civilization), they developed sophisticated calendars, a writing system, and even a number system based on the concept of zero. -
100 BCE
The Beginning of the Anasazi Civilization
The Anasazi civilization started in the Four Corner area of the Southwest United States and eventually migrated eastwards.The Anasazi built a trade network across the Southwest region using miles of roads. They built multistory adobe buildings called Pueblos. Some Pueblos were built on flat mesas and steep cliffs and some pueblos had hundreds of rooms. -
500
The End of The Mound Builders Civilizations
Though the reason for the Mound Builders' decline is uncertain, historians and architects have came up with four theories as to what may have happened to them. The four possibilities are warfare, crop failure, disease, and climate change. -
800
The Beginning of the Cahokia-Mississippian Civilization
The Mississippian culture was the last major mound building culture in North America. They built centrally planned towns and had an advanced farming system. They invented a farming tool called the hoe and grew corn and beans. -
900
The Beginning of the Toltec Civilization
After the Mayan's mysterious decline, the Toltecs dominated the areas that the Mayans once ruled. The Toltecs were known for their warrior and building skills. Most Toltec architectural influence comes from the remains of the Mayan civilization. -
1300
The End of The Anasazi Civilization
The Anasazi's decline was because of drought and famine. -
1400
The Beginning of the Aztec Civilization
The Aztecs had a very warlike civilization . They formed an empire and invaded and conquered people who weren't Aztec and used them for slavery and sacrifices, causing them to be the hated by many people. -
1400
The Beginning of the Inca Civilization
Living contemporary of the Aztecs, the Inca civilization rose to power in the Andes Mountains of South America. The Inca was the largest MesoAmerican civilization in the Americas with a population of about 12 million people. They had advanced engineering and technology and built many roads and bridges. -
1500
The End of The Toltec Civilization
Not much is known about the Toltec civilization because the Aztecs erased records of the Toltecs existance. -
1521
The End of The Aztec Civilization
A Spanish conquistador names Hernan Cortes led a group of invaders to the Aztec empire in Mexico and made them believe he was a god. This caused a war between the Aztecs and the Spanish invaders which led to the fall of the Aztec empire. -
1540
The End of The Cahokia-Mississippian Civilization
The collapse of the Cahokia-Mississippian culture was caused by a flood
