Mesoamerican Classic period

The Mesoamerican Classic period is marked by the consolidation of the urban process that started in the Late Preclassic and later the Postclassic, which occurred until the third century A.D. During the first part of this era, Mesoamerica was dominated by Teotihuacan. Beginning in the fourth century A. D., this city experienced a major process of decay that allowed the growth of the Maya, Zapotec, and central regional cultures of the Epiclassic.