Mesoamerica timeline
This chart puts 14 Mesoamerican civilizations on one timeline in order, from Olmec civilization (c. 1600 to 400 BCE) to New Spain (1521 to 1821 CE). On these dates, Zapotec state (Monte Albán) lasted longest, about 1,349 years.
See it on the interactive chart
- Olmec civilizationc. 1600 to 400 BCE
- El Miradorc. 600 BCE to 150 CE
- Zapotec state (Monte Albán)c. 500 BCE to 850 CE
- Teotihuacanc. 100 BCE to 550 CE
- Tikal (Mutal)c. 90 to 900 CE
- Classic Maya civilizationc. 250 to 900 CE
- Kaan kingdom (Calakmul)c. 400 to 900 CE
- Chichen Itzac. 750 to 1100 CE
- Toltec state (Tula)c. 900 to 1150 CE
- Mixtec kingdomsc. 900 to 1522 CE
- Mayapanc. 1220 to 1441 CE
- Tarascan statec. 1300 to 1530 CE
- Aztec Empire (Triple Alliance)1428 to 1521 CE
- New Spain1521 to 1821 CE
- Mayan
- Oto-Manguean
- Uto-Aztecan
- Isolates and small families
- Latin and Romance
- People or culture without a state
In order
Olmec civilization
Generally regarded as the first civilization of Mesoamerica, in the lowlands of Veracruz and Tabasco. The Olmec carved colossal basalt heads, worked jade and made rubber balls for the ball game. Their language is unknown; an early Mixe-Zoquean language is a leading hypothesis.
El Mirador
Major Preclassic Maya city in northern Guatemala, linked by raised causeways to Nakbe and El Tintal. Its La Danta pyramid rises about 72 m and is one of the largest in the world by volume. It was abandoned by about 150 CE.
Zapotec state (Monte Albán)
Zapotec capital on an artificially leveled ridge above the Valley of Oaxaca, with carved stones called Danzantes now read as sacrificed war prisoners. It had about 17,000 people by 100 BCE to 200 CE and lost its power by about 750.
Teotihuacan
The largest city in the Americas at its height, with perhaps 100,000 people, built along the Avenue of the Dead with the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. Its monuments were burned around 550. Who lived there is debated; Nahua, Otomi and Totonac origins have been proposed.
Tikal (Mutal)
Leading Classic Maya kingdom of the Petén, whose dynasty was founded by Yax Ehb Xook, perhaps in the 1st century. It was defeated by Calakmul and Caracol in 562, recovered under Jasaw Chan K'awiil, and raised its last monument in 869.
Classic Maya civilization
Rival kingdoms ruled by divine kings who raised dated monuments using the Long Count calendar and wrote in Maya script, the only Mesoamerican writing system substantially deciphered. One by one the lowland cities stopped; the last Long Count date is from 909.
Kaan kingdom (Calakmul)
The Snake kingdom, Tikal's great rival, which moved its seat to Calakmul around 635. Under Yuknoom the Great it led a network of vassals until Tikal defeated it in 695.
Chichen Itza
One of the largest Maya cities, in northern Yucatán, with the stepped pyramid of Kukulcan, the largest ballcourt in ancient Mesoamerica and the Sacred Cenote, where offerings and human remains were deposited. It declined by 1100.
Toltec state (Tula)
State centered on Tula in Hidalgo, usually thought to have been Nahua, known for basalt columns carved as warriors. Tula was at its height from 900 to 1150 and its center was burned in the 12th century. The Aztecs saw the Toltecs as their cultural predecessors.
Mixtec kingdoms
Small kingdoms of the Oaxaca highlands and coast, known for painted codices and goldwork. Lord Eight Deer Jaguar Claw conquered many towns in the late 11th century. The coastal kingdom of Tututepec stayed outside the Aztec Empire until Spain took it in 1522.
Mayapan
Walled political capital of the Maya of Yucatán, ruled by the Cocom family, with 15,000 to 17,000 people. A revolt led by the Xiu sacked and burned it in 1441, and it was abandoned.
Tarascan state
Purépecha kingdom of Michoacán, skilled in copper and bronze work, that defeated an Aztec invasion under Axayacatl in the 1470s. Its last ruler submitted to Spain and was executed on the orders of Nuño de Guzmán in 1530.
Aztec Empire (Triple Alliance)
Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan that took tribute from about 38 provinces. Tenochtitlan held some 200,000 people when Cortés and his Tlaxcalan allies captured it in 1521.
New Spain
Spanish viceroyalty created in 1535 on the ruins of the Aztec Empire, reaching from California to Central America and the Philippines. Its silver mining enriched the Spanish crown and helped transform the global economy.
Major events
- San Lorenzo rises as a major Olmec center. San Lorenzo becomes the largest city in Mesoamerica, from about 1200 to 900 BCE. Its rulers have colossal heads carved from basalt brought from the Tuxtla Mountains.
- Monte Albán founded. Zapotec communities of the Valley of Oaxaca build a new capital on a mountaintop, one of the first cities in Mesoamerica.
- Pyramid of the Sun built. Teotihuacan's largest building reaches nearly its present size around 200 CE. It stands over a cave reached by a tunnel, probably an early shrine that the pyramid later covered.
- Teotihuacan intervenes at Tikal. Siyaj K'ak', probably a general serving a ruler linked to Teotihuacan, arrives at Tikal on the day its king is killed. A new king, Yax Nuun Ayiin I, takes the throne.
- Tikal defeats Calakmul. Jasaw Chan K'awiil I of Tikal wins a major victory over Calakmul, then ruled by Yuknoom Yich'aak K'ahk', weakening the Kaan kingdom's hegemony and starting its long decline.
- Classic Maya collapse. Southern lowland cities such as Tikal, Copán, Palenque and Calakmul decline in the 8th and 9th centuries, stop raising inscribed monuments and are abandoned, while northern Yucatán prospers. The causes are debated.
- Triple Alliance formed. Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan defeat Azcapotzalco and form the alliance that becomes the Aztec Empire.
- Fall of Tenochtitlan. Cortés's Spanish force and thousands of Indigenous allies, mostly Tlaxcalans, besiege the Aztec capital, already devastated by smallpox, until it surrenders on 13 August 1521.
- Cocoliztli epidemic. A disease called cocoliztli, marked by high fevers and bleeding, sweeps New Spain from 1545 to 1548, killing an estimated 5 to 15 million people. Its cause is still debated.
- Grito de Dolores. The priest Miguel Hidalgo calls for revolt against Spanish rule, starting the Mexican War of Independence, won in 1821.
Questions
What is the order of Mesoamerican civilizations?
By start date: Olmec civilization, El Mirador, Zapotec state (Monte Albán), Teotihuacan, Tikal (Mutal), Classic Maya civilization, Kaan kingdom (Calakmul), Chichen Itza, Toltec state (Tula), Mixtec kingdoms, Mayapan, Tarascan state, Aztec Empire (Triple Alliance) and New Spain.
Which of the Mesoamerican civilizations lasted longest?
On this timeline, Zapotec state (Monte Albán), at about 1,349 years (c. 500 BCE to 850 CE).
How many Mesoamerican civilizations were there?
This timeline shows 14. Other lists count differently, depending on how they treat rival states and periods of division.
Which came first?
Olmec civilization, c. 1600 to 400 BCE, is the earliest on this timeline.
Where do these dates come from?
Each row's dates were checked against the sources listed on that row's own page, mostly English Wikipedia articles, which cite the underlying scholarship. Dates that are uncertain are marked c.