ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE LONG BEEN FASCINATED WITH THE ancient cultures of Mesoamerica. These scientists study the remains of art, buildings, and items used by ancient people in their daily lives. Archaeologists believe that the earliest people in present-day Mexico arrived in about 21,000 b. c.e. They base this belief on bones found at Tlapacoya, southeast of modern Mexico City.
For about 14,000 years, the early people of today’s Mexico were nomads—they moved from place to place searching for the best food sources. These nomads were hunter-gatherers. Much of the game they hunted is still common in the area, including deer, rabbits, rats, ducks, geese, and gophers. They took turtles, mussels, and fish from the water. They also hunted three animal species that are now extinct: an antelope species, a variety of horse, and massive mammoths.
Eventually, the people learned how to domesticate certain plants— taking seeds from wild crops, planting them, and taking care of the plants that grew. Farming requires people to stay in one place while the plants grow, so between 7000 and 5000 b. c.e., some people who farmed began living in small, temporary villages until the harvest. They grew chilies, squash, and avocados. They also domesticated two grains— amaranth and teocintle. Once domesticated, the grains became their staple foods. Teocintle slowly evolved into the grain now called corn.
Over time, the seasonal farming villages became more permanent. People experimented with growing more vegetables, including beans, pumpkins, and gourds. They began raising fruits, such as the zapotl, a sweet, plum-like fruit. They also grew sunflowers, which were valued for their seeds.
OPPOSITE The Pyramid of the Sun rises above the site of the ancient city of Teotihuacan, in today's Mexico.
World History
