Human presence in Pre-Columbian Mexico goes back to 8,000 BCE and it went to become one of the world's six cradles of civilization. In particular, the Mesoamerican region was home to many intertwined civilizations, including the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, and Purepecha. Last were the Aztecs, who dominated the region in the century before European contact. In 1521, the Spanish Empire and its indigenous allies conquered the Aztec Empire from its capital Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), establishing the colony of New Spain.
How old were the indigenous civilizations in Mexico prior to European contact?
There were many civilizations that came prior to European contact, some that date back as early as 8,000 BCE. The last civilization to dominate Mexico a century prior to European contact were the Aztecs, whose capital, Tenochtitlan, became what is now Mexico City.