Urban Origins: Mesoamerica

The earliest urban settlements in Mesoamerica date to only 500 B.C. One of the earliest settlements was the Zapotec civilization, which was based on small-scale irrigated farming and was centered in Mexico. Mayan cities date to about 100 B.C. and were located in lowland areas of modern Mexico, as well as in the Yucatan penninsula, Guatemala and Belize. The agriculture here was based on corn cultivation that did not require technological advances. By the time of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, Mayan civilization had been in decline for several centuries because of droughts, warfare, and population pressures.