Complex Societies In Modern Times

Vince Lombardy was once quoted as saying, “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.” Although this quote was obviously written about more modern times, it could also just have easily been a statement used in the early era, at the dawn of complex societies. Why these societies developed could be for a number of reasons, but they all had some common bonds. Complex societies tend to divide people into distinct groups based upon wealth, occupation, where they lived, language, etc. In a complex society, people were also able to specialize in specific tasks, most likely due to a surplus of food. When people didn’t have to worry about the essentials of survival, they

These people began to push down through North America and into South America by 9500 BCE. Mesoamerica is classified as the region from the central portion of modern Mexico to Honduras and El Salvador. The first people on record to settle in this area and begin farming were the Olmecs. Agriculture was the beginning of the Olmec era. By 4000 BCE, the Olmecs had a staple crop of maize, and agricultural cities began springing up by 3000 BCE. The towns/villages were built in an area of abundant rain, and the Olmecs were also able to construct elaborate drainage systems. As a result of agriculture cities along this area began to grow. As noted earlier in what a complex society is, once the basic needs of a society have been met, specialization begins to start. These were the building blocks of the next society, the city of Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan was a large agricultural village in the highlands of Mexico. It was a perfect place to farm as there were an abundance of lakes and rivers in the area which helped with crop irrigation and with trade. Teotihuacan was the largest city in the Western Hemisphere. Between 400 CE and 600 CE, there were over 200,000 people living in this city. They had everything from temples and palatial homes, to small apartments for area neighborhoods, busy market places, and workshops for artisans and craftsmen. After almost 1000 years of power, the city of Teotihuacan fell. Enter the Aztecs. The Aztecs were in awe of this city, and when they found it they claimed it as their own. The Aztecs built upon what was already there, incorporating it into their own religion and history by claiming that the current world had begun there. Although the Aztec put their own stamp upon the city, they used it much the same as the earlier people who had originally built the city, although religion was given much more emphasis. These three societies,