ah , ▁Colorado , ▁and ▁possibly ▁surrounding ▁areas . ▁ ▁Ar ido amer ica ▁ ▁Ch ich ime ca ▁ ▁Ch ich ime ca ▁was ▁the ▁name ▁that ▁the ▁Mex ica ▁( A zte cs ) ▁gener ically ▁applied ▁to ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁semi - nom adic ▁pe op les ▁who ▁inhab ited ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁modern - day ▁Mexico , ▁and ▁carried ▁the ▁same ▁sense ▁as ▁the ▁European ▁term ▁" bar bar ian ". ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁adopted ▁with ▁a ▁pe jor ative ▁tone ▁by ▁the ▁Sp ani ards ▁when ▁referring ▁especially ▁to ▁the ▁semi - nom adic ▁h unter - g ather er ▁pe op les ▁of ▁northern ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁Mes o amer ica ▁ ▁Z ap ot ec ▁The ▁Z ap ot ec ▁emer ged ▁around ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁years ▁B CE . ▁Their ▁writing ▁system ▁influenced ▁the ▁later ▁Ol m ec . ▁They ▁left ▁behind ▁the ▁great ▁city ▁Monte ▁Alban . ▁ ▁Ol m ec ▁The ▁Ol m ec ▁civil ization ▁emer ged ▁around ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁B CE ▁in ▁Mes o amer ica ▁and ▁ended ▁around ▁ 4 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁Ol m ec ▁art ▁and ▁concepts ▁influenced ▁surrounding ▁cult ures ▁after ▁their ▁down fall . ▁This ▁civil ization ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁in ▁America ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁writing ▁system . ▁After ▁the ▁Ol m ec s ▁abandoned ▁their ▁cities ▁for ▁unknown ▁reasons , ▁the ▁May a , ▁Z ap ot ec ▁and ▁Te ot ih u ac