This document discusses the first civilizations in the Americas. It describes how sedentary groups began developing more complex ways of life, forming villages that communicated with each other. This led to the emergence of the first civilizations in two main regions: Mesoamerica and the Andes mountains. In Mesoamerica, early cultures like the Olmec established writing, calendar, and cultural traditions that influenced later civilizations such as the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec. Along the Andes, civilizations such as the Chavin, Moche, Nazca, and Inca arose, distinguished by achievements like observatories, aqueducts, and pottery-making.

1. C.E.T. Colegio Myrang
Carolina, Puerto Rico
First Steps Through America;
The First Civilizations
Mrs. Gladimar de Jesús

2. The First Civilizations
 Sedentary groups gradually began to
develop increasingly complex ways of
life.
 Villages began to grow and
communicate with one another.
 It was necessary to organize the
inhabitants, as well as build roads,
houses, buildings, and templates.

3. The First Civilizations
 Thus were born the forst civilizations in
America.
 civilization
– is a group of persons that has
its own, very developed, culture.
 American greatest civilizations
developed in two geographic regions:
 Mesoamerica,
 the
Andes
and

4. The First Civilizations;
The Middle part of America
 First cultures in the America continent
originated in geographical area of


Mesoamerica – which means “the middle part of
America”
Region stretches through the center and south of
present-day Mexico and part of Central America.
 Several peoples that developed unique
civilizations lived in Mesoamerica, but they
shared some customs.

5. The First Civilizations;
The Middle part of America
 The Olmec, was the first civilization,
considered by many, as the “mother
culture”.
 They stood out for the their stone
carvings.
 They created the writing and calendar
systems that later would be adopted by
other Mesoamerican peoples.

6. The First Civilizations;
The Middle part of America

7. The First Civilizations;
The Middle part of America
 They were influential to the formation of
other civilizations, such as:
 the
Zapatec,
 the Mayan,
 the Toltec,
 and Mexica or Aztec.
(Many of these civilizations disappeared and
were replaced by others, in the course of
time.)

8. The First Civilizations;
The Route Along the Andes
 Around the Andes, in the south of the
continent, near Peru, the civilization of
the Andean culture developed.
 Some of the cultures were:
 Chavin
 Moche
 Nazca
 and
Inca

9. The First Civilizations;
The Route Along the Andes
 They left valuable legacies that enable us to
understand their history.



The Chavin – built an observatory from which they
watched the movement of the stars.
The Moche – distinguished themselves for the
construction of canals or aqueducts that
transported water to places far away from the
rivers.
The Nazca – made outstanding pottery of different
forms and many colors

10. The First Civilizations;
The Route Along the Andes
 They left valuable legacies that enable us to
understand their history.



The Chavin – built an observatory from which they
watched the movement of the stars.
The Moche – distinguished themselves for the
construction of canals or aqueducts that
transported water to places far away from the
rivers.
The Nazca – made outstanding pottery of different
forms and many colors