Explain how cultural diffusion occurred in Mesoamerica despite the fact that the Olmec Maya and Aztec civillizations did not rule at the same time

The answer is below

Explanation:

Cultural diffusion occurred in Mesoamerica even when the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec didn't rule at the same time as a result of certain occurrences:

The Mesoamerican cultures through the years tried to dominate one another. Thereby, this led to the conquering of neighboring nations which result in the conquered nation being greatly influenced by the cultures of the dominant nation.

For example, the Olmec were the earliest dominant nation, and their culture transcends to other neighboring nations that they conquered such as Mayans. The Olmec cultures were reflected through the rise of Mayan cultures, most especially in terms of architecture, knowledge, and religion.

Similarly, Aztecs were initially dominated by Toltecs and thereby got influenced culturally. The Toltec culture was later reflected in Aztec culture.