President inspires exhibition comparing ancient civilizations

Ancient civilizations have had a deep influence on China and many Latin American countries.

While Chinese civilization appeared some 5,000 years ago, a series of pre-Columbian civilizations ruled in what is now Latin America. Three of the most prominent were the Maya, Aztec and Inca.

The oldest of these three, the Maya, dates to 1,800 BC, but their cities were abandoned about AD 900. The Aztec and Inca empires were conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century.