South American Architecture
The earliest big buildings from South America are in Central America (modern Mexico). Olmec
people built them, about 1150 BC. Olmec kings got their people to build groups of big stone temples at
Tenochtitlan and other Olmec cities. People built these temples out of limestone.
For several hundred years only Olmec people built big stone buildings. By about 700 BC, though, other people in South America also began to build temples. The Maya built stone temples in Central America (modern Guatamala). Most of the greatest Maya temples are from between 250 BC and 900 AD, although some were built later.
People further south, who were in the Moche kingdom (modern Peru), built stone palaces and temples beginning about 100 AD. The most famous of these are the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. After the collapse of the Moche, the Inca conquered most of the Pacific coast of South America (modern Peru and Ecuador) and they also built many big stone buildings.
Further north, in the Aztec kingdom, there were also big stone buildings, both palaces and temples. People built the earliest Aztec buildings about 1300 AD.
For several hundred years only Olmec people built big stone buildings. By about 700 BC, though, other people in South America also began to build temples. The Maya built stone temples in Central America (modern Guatamala). Most of the greatest Maya temples are from between 250 BC and 900 AD, although some were built later.
People further south, who were in the Moche kingdom (modern Peru), built stone palaces and temples beginning about 100 AD. The most famous of these are the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. After the collapse of the Moche, the Inca conquered most of the Pacific coast of South America (modern Peru and Ecuador) and they also built many big stone buildings.
Further north, in the Aztec kingdom, there were also big stone buildings, both palaces and temples. People built the earliest Aztec buildings about 1300 AD.
To find out more about South American architecture before 1500, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
Ancient Rome (Eyewitness Books), by Simon James (2004). For kids.
Handbook of Mediterranean Roman Pottery, by John W. Hayes (1997). Hayes has been the leading expert on Roman pottery for the last several decades.
Roman Pottery, by Kevin Greene (1992). Greene is another pottery expert, particularly interested in what pottery can tell us about the Roman Economy.
