Early Formative period
Quick Summary
The Early Formative period in Mesoamerica, spanning roughly 1500 to 900 BCE, marks a significant transition from earlier hunting and gathering societies to more settled agricultural communities. This era saw the widespread adoption of agriculture, with corn, beans, and squashes as staple crops.123
Key developments during this period include:
* Settlement Patterns: A shift from temporary camps to semipermanent villages, indicating increasing sedentariness.23
* Ceramics: The emergence and rapid diffusion of pottery techniques and styles, serving as important archaeological markers. Horizon markers include specific color zones, rocker stamping, and the tecomate jar.1
* Olmec Influence: While cultural regionalism grew, the Olmec civilization's presence is detectable across Mesoamerica.1
* Religious Development: Early religious phenomena are inferred from archaeological finds, including terra-cotta figurines and the construction of monumental religious structures like the pyramid at Cuicuilco.2
Mesoamerica, encompassing parts of modern-day Mexico and Central America, is characterized by distinct highland and lowland regions, each with unique agricultural practices and settlement potentials.123
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Mesoamerican civilization…designated by archaeologists as the Early Formative (1500–900 bce). Pottery, which had appeared in some areas of the region as early as 2300 bce, perhaps introduced from Andean cultures to the south, took on varied and sophisticated forms. The idea of the temple-pyramid seems to have taken root during this…
Read More…designated by archaeologists as the Early Formative (1500–900 bce). Pottery, which had appeared in some areas of the region as early as 2300 bce, perhaps introduced from Andean cultures to the south, took on varied and sophisticated forms. The idea of the temple-pyramid seems to have taken root during this…
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MexicoEarly, Middle, and Late Formative periodsBy 2000 bc some village communities in Middle America were sustained largely or wholly by agriculture. Most of these villages were located in southern Mesoamerica, but archaeological finds in Cerro Juanaquena, Chihuahua, not far from the present-day U.S. border,…
Read MoreBy 2000 bc some village communities in Middle America were sustained largely or wholly by agriculture. Most of these villages were located in southern Mesoamerica, but archaeological finds in Cerro Juanaquena, Chihuahua, not far from the present-day U.S. border,…
Read More
