The city of Monte Albán was founded in large part by the Zapotec civilization, and flourished from 500BC to around 850AD. Its construction and basic architecture consists of multiple plazas and platforms that housed many different buildings, such as religious centers, residential buildings, ball courts, and marketplaces. Although it was considered poly-ethnic, it did not consist of smaller tribes or cities. It was, in fact, one singular, unified city.

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Photograph by Matt Saunder

The architecture of the Inca Empire reflected their mountain locale, which stretched across modern day Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Large stones were frequently used for significant buildings, such as the massive complex of Macchu Picchu. The most remarkable aspect of Inca masonry was its intricate stonecutting, which allowed their masonry to be put together without the use of mortar or any binding substance.

Ashlar masonry is the term given to the finely beveled rocks fitted closely next to one another by Incan builders. Corbelling was used by Hindu architects to lend cavelike appearances to temples. Post-and-lintel construction was used in the building of Neolithic structures, including Stonehenge. Lacunari refers to the coffers used by Roman builders to lessen the weight of heavy ceilings. 

Aztec temples were not just centers for religious worship, but also displays of political propaganda. The Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan, for example, was a reminder to the people of Tenochtitlan that a great amount of wealth and power was required to erect it, and that such power should be respected.

Ashlar masonry is the term given to the finely beveled rocks fitted closely next to one another by Incan builders. Corbelling was used by Hindu architects to lend cavelike appearances to temples. Post-and-lintel construction was used in the building of Neolithic structures, including Stonehenge. Lacunari refers to the coffers used by Roman builders to lessen the weight of heavy ceilings.

The Zapotec civilization used stone monuments depicting naked men with distorted posture and often mutilated genitals, called "Danzantes," or "Dancers," to represent their victims of human sacrifice. These stone monuments can be seen throughout the plazas of Monte Albán. Over 300 of these monuments have been found.

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Photograph by Matt Saunder

The Anasazi are believed to have developed a unique culture in the American southwest around roughly the twelfth century B.C.E. The most notable aspect of Anasazi ruins and buildings is their location. In multiple sites in the Four Corners region, large stone palaces and other buildings are built into caves along stone cliffs, creating the look of a building that comes directly out of the stone walls.

Chichen Itza, built and occupied between 600 and 1200 BCE, is a famous city built by the Mayans in what is today known as Yucatán, Southern Mexico. It is not completely known why Chichen Itza was abandoned, only that it remains in good condition to this day, and is a stunning example of Mayan architecture.

The Toltec civilization dominated the area of Mexico that is now known as the state of Hidalgo in the early post-classic period of Mesoamerican chronology. The pyramids constructed in Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, show an interesting similarity to Mayan architecture, though they are different enough as to be able to determine Toltec from Mayan architecture. What the similarities seem to hint at is that there was some kind of interaction between the Mayan and Toltec civilizations.

In addition, the Aztec peoples considered the Toltec civilization as their ancestors. Although little is known about the history of the Toltec civilization, the Aztecs wrote about them extensively. Unfortunately, it is not known if the accounts of the Aztecs are indeed historical, or simply fictional accounts of those whom they consider to be their ancestors.

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Photograph by Luidger