Early civilizations believed to have come from the Asian continent through the Bering Strait about 15,000 BC. It is also believed that some of the people returned to Asia but the migration stopped around 9,000 BC due to the melting of the ice bridge.
Some of the early civilizations include the Maya, Tolteca and Azteca, they had common practices that led to longevity. Among those practices were agriculture and trade which were crucial for survival. The need of food in a growing population turned them to agriculture rather quickly, corn (maize) becoming the most important one among squash and beans. It is no surprise that these three main crops continue to be our staple in our diet.
The Aztecs and Mayas were much more specialized in infrastructure and agriculture than the Toltecas. The Toltecas’ strengths were in religious rights, growth of markets and trading. It is believed that the Toltecas were wiped out by nomadic tribes, but their culture influence remained with the Mayan culture making it more flexible.
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They lived in apartment like structures and the main source of work was manufacturing and trading.
An Aztec city, Tenochtitlan was considered the biggest and most powerful city in Mesoamerica. It was founded over a small island in Lake Texcoco which was later drained for crops and expansion. A Mexica ancient prophecy about the founding of a great city would be marked by the discovery of an eagle eating a snake while sitting on a cactus, now well known as the Eagle & Serpent (the Mexican code of arms). The Eagle represents the sun god (Huitzilopochtli), the snake represents wisdom in relationship to Quezalcoatl, the god of wind and wisdom. The cactus represent the island, meaning Tenochtitlan. This significance of this symbol today is important as it represents the Mexican