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The Ancient Americas

Author: Ian McConnell
Video Transcript
Attributions
Terms to Know
Axial Plan

The horizontal arrangement of the elements of a building or town along a central axis.

Mesoamerica

A region that extends from central Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Olmec

The first civilization in Mexico.

Precolumbian

An adjective referring to cultures that existed before the arrival of Columbus to the Americas in 1492.

Quetzalcoatl

Mesoamerican deity whose name means 'feathered serpent'.

Talud-tablero

A style of architecture characterized by a platform structure on top of a sloping surface. Also referenced as the slope-and-panel style. Often seen in pyramids built during the pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.

Teotihuacan

An expansive archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico containing the largest pyramids built during the pre-Columbian Americas.