The three main Indian empires in Mesoamerica were the Olmec, Mayan and Aztec. These fascinating cultures had three very different religions and origins, but there were some similarities. In all three cases, they built their cities primarily as religious centers and had similar forms of worship. All of their societies revolved around their distinct religions. The Olmecs are the oldest known Mesoamerican civilization. Around 1200 BC, the Olmecs were originally a primitive people living and farming on the coasts of Mexico (Stanton 91). Soon, however, they began to build towns such as San Lorenzo, La Venta and Monte Alban. These “cities” were religious centers where people gathered to worship and were not populated (Stanton 91). The first of these centers, San Lorenzo, was built c. 1150 BC, on an artificial mountain with a flat top. It was mysteriously abandoned 200 years later (Stanton 92-93). La Venta, built between 1000 and 600 BC, was located on an island in a swamp (Stanton 93). Later, around 500 BC, Monte Alban, which served as a religious center even after the disappearance of the Olmecs, was built on a huge mountain (Stanton 93). The cities were made up of temples and squares, and decorated with monumental stone heads, weighing up to 50 tons (Stanton 93)! These heads likely represented their early kings and wore distinct helmets (Kingfisher 32). It is incredible how the Olmecs transported stone from distant mountains to La Venta near the shore without the help of draft animals or carts. It appears that the Olmecs willingly performed this backbreaking work for their gods, as there is no evidence of forced labor (Stanton 93). The Olmecs probably worshiped the jaguar, as it appears so often in their works of art. There are also many e...... middle of paper ...... (Schweikart 5-6). The Aztecs' greed for sacrificial hostages turned these Indian neighbors against them (Kingfisher 196-197). The Aztecs were defeated, in part because they had been weakened by smallpox, but also because the Spanish fought together as a single force, while the Aztecs fought individually (Schweikart 6-7). These three civilizations were focused on their religions, causing some similarities. . They all built cities as religious centers. The Mayans and Aztecs worshiped their gods through human sacrifice. The Olmecs were so devoted to their gods that they carried 50-ton boulders from the mountains to the shore. For the Mayans, even their games were linked to their religion. Aztec society was constantly at war for the sole purpose of offering sacrifices to its many gods. Religion Dominated the Cultures of These Mesoamerican Empires.