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35,000 BCE
Last Glacial Maximum
Intense cold during the Ice Age creates the Beringia land bridge between Siberia and Alaska. -
30,000 BCE
First Migrations Begin (30,000 BCE)
Early human groups start moving across Beringia, likely following large game. -
25,000 BCE
Peak Migration Period
Glaciers cover much of North America; some groups settle in Beringia while others migrate further. -
20,000 BCE
Glaciers Recede
Climate warms slightly, but the Bering Strait remains passable for migration. -
16,000 BCE
Coastal Routes Emerge
Ice sheets retreat, enabling groups to move south along the Pacific coast. -
14,000 BCE
Clovis Culture Emerges
Distinct tools and cultural practices develop in the Americas. -
10,000 BCE
End of the Ice Age
Rising sea levels submerge Beringia; human settlements expand across the Americas. -
2500 BCE
Preclassic era
Early Mesoamerican cultures begin forming complex societies. -
2500 BCE
Beginning of the Maya empire
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300 BCE
Early olmec empire
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100 BCE
Beginning of zapotecs
Known for Monte Albán and early hieroglyphic writing in the Oaxaca Valley. -
200
Classic period
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300
maya height of civilization
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400
Monte Alban heighest point
Monte Albán becomes a cultural and political center in the Oaxaca Valley. -
900
Postclassic period
Marked by the rise of the Toltecs and the decline of earlier civilizations. -
910
Aztecs rise and fall
The city reaches its peak, known for monumental architecture like the Pyramid of the Sun. -
1438
Expansion of the Inca Empire
The Inca build the largest empire in pre-Columbian Americas with advanced infrastructure. -
1492
Arrival of Columbus
Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas, marking the start of European exploration. -
1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
Spain and Portugal divide the newly discovered lands of the Americas. -
1519
Arrival of Hernán Cortés
Cortés allies with Indigenous groups to challenge the Aztec Empire. -
1520
Massacre in the Great Temple
Moctezuma II dies during a pivotal event in the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs. -
1521
Fall of Tenochtitlán