Central and South America

Foraging Societies: 12,000 to 3,000 BC

ca. 14,500 BC: Asian migrants cross Bering Land bridge and enter North America
ca.12,000 BC: Migrants have made their way all the way to Chile
12,000 to 8,000 BC: Ice Age Foraging Peoples
8,000 to 6,000 BC: Early Archaic Period
6,000 to 3,000 BC: Middle Archaic Period

Settled Agriculture: 5,000 BC

5000 BC: Agriculture begins in Mexico.
2000 BC: Huastecas and other proto-Maya cultures in Mexico

Early Ceremonial Centers: 2,000 BC to 700 BC

2000 BC: Development of the first Peruvian ceremonial centers.
1500 BC: Beginnings of Olmec civilization.

Urban Society: 900 BC to AD 400

900 BC: Chavins unite Peru.
800 BC: Olmecs unite Mesoamerica.
400 BC- 1500: Zapotecs (Monte Alban, Mixtla)
400 BC- 1000: Nazca coastal culture, western South America
300: End of Olmec civilization.

Early Empires: 300-1400

31 BC: First dated Olmec monument, early glyph writing
00-300: Pre-classic Maya
ca. 50: Maya leave first written records in Western Hemisphere
100: Sun temple built at Teotihuacan
300-600: Teotihuacan (Toltec) empire.
217: Carbon dating of oldest Pueblo roof beam, Southwest
300-900: Classic Maya
c. 550: Chichen Itza is founded.
600-800: Huari and Tiahuanaco empires.
642: Palenque built
200-900: Teotihuacan expands
400-1000: Tiahuanaco empire, Andean South America
890: Maya produce first book in the Americas,
ca 850-900: Great Mayan cities of Central America deserted
1300: End of Mayan civilization.

Later Empires: 1400-1810

1400-1519: Aztec empire.
1438-1538: Inca Empire.
1519-1810: Spanish Empire

1810-present: Independent National States

1810: Venezuela declares independence from Spain.
1819: Bolivar becomes president of Gran Columbia.
1823: Mexico becomes a republic.
1898: Spanish-American War begins.
1910: Mexican Revolution
1938: Cardenas nationalizes foreign oil companies in Mexico
1959: Cuban Revolution
1994: Chiapas Rebellion begins

This chronology based on the work of

Richard W. Slatta [[email protected]]

Professor of History

North Carolina State University

Used by permission.

Central South America