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The Americas[edit]
Further information: Pre-Columbian, New World, and History of the Americas
In pre-Columbian times, several large, centralized ancient civilisations developed in the Western Hemisphere,^[103] both in Mesoamerica and western South America. Beyond these areas, the use of agriculture expanded East of the Andes Mountains in South America particularly with the Marajoara culture, and in the continental United States with the Hopewell culture.
Andean civilisations[edit]
Further information: Norte Chico civilization
The Central Andes in South America was one of the original areas of civilisation, spanning 4,500 years from the Norte Chico in 3500 BC to the Inca Empire, after which the entire continent was transformed by the 16th-century Columbian Exchange. Until the late 20th century, details about Norte Chico were unclear and often confused with later cultures such as the Chavin.
Ancient Andean civilisation began with the rise or organized fishing communities from 3,500 BC onwards. Along with a sophisticated maritime society came the construction of large monuments, which likely existed as community centers.^[104] The large ceremonial structures predated the Measoamerican Olmecs by 2,000 years making Norte Chico the first civilisation in the Western Hemisphere.
Mesoamerica[edit]
Further information: Mesoamerica

The ruins of Mesoamerican city Teotihuacan
Mesoamerican ancient civilisations included the Olmecs and Mayans. Between 2000 and 300 BC, complex cultures began to form and many matured into advanced Mesoamerican civilisations such as the: Olmec, Izapa, Teotihuacan, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Huastec, Which flourished for nearly 4,000 years before the first contact with Europeans. The progress of these civilisations included pyramid-temples, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and theology.
The Zapotec emerged around 1500 years BC. They left behind the great city Monte Albán. Their writing system had been thought to have influenced the Olmecs but, with recent evidence, the Olmec may have been the first civilisation in the area to develop a true writing system independently. At the present time, there is some debate as to whether or not Olmec symbols, dated to 650 BC, are actually a form of writing preceding the oldest Zapotec writing dated to about 500 BC.^[105]
Olmec symbols found in 2002 and 2006 date to 650 BC^[106] and 900 BC,^[107] respectively, preceding the oldest Zapotec writing.^[108][109] The Olmec symbols found in 2006, dating to 900 BC, are known as the Cascajal Block. The earliest Mayan inscriptions found which are identifiably Maya date to the 3rd century BC in San Bartolo, Guatemala. The Mayan invention of writing makes Mesoamerica one of only three regions in the world that developed writing completely independently.^{[110]
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