Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica is a region in the mid latitudes of the Americas. A number of pre Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish Colonization. The culture area extends from central Honduras and northwestern Costa Rica on the south to, in Mexico, the Soto la Marina River in Tamaulipas and the Rio Fuerte in Sinaloa on the North.

The farmers of the region made fine pottery figurines. It is likely that many of these sculptures were used in religious ceremonies intended to assure good crops.

The Indians farmer of central Mexico made female figures with narrow waists, painted bodies, and elaborate hairdos. The features were delicately modeled, particularly the eyebrows, eyes, and mouths. Little stubs were used to represents arms. Some of these figurines have two heads. Pottery was usually made in simple bowl or bottle forms, but many animal, bird and fish shapes have been found.

This culture area included some of the most complex  and advanced cultures of the Americas, including the Olmec Civilization , Teotihuacan, the Maya Indian and the Aztec Indian.

The first complex civilization to develop in Mesoamerica were the Olmec Indians, who inhabited gulf coast region of Veracruz troughout the Preclassic period. The mian sites of the Olmec include San Lorenzo, Tenochtitlan, La venta and Tres Zapotes.