Olmec

Olmec Civilization

Olmec Civilization

• Mesoamerica’s “mother culture”• 1200 B.C.E. in southern Mexico near the

Gulf Coast• hot & humid and covered with swamps

and jungle– 100 in of rainfall– flooding

• Abundant deposits of salt, tar, clay, rubber, and stone

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/olmec/olmec-site-map.jpg

Olmec Civilization

• Rivers= routes for transportation

• Flood plains =fertile land for farming

• Built thriving communities – oldest site is San Lorenzo 1150 B.C.

• San Lorenzo had large mounds, courtyards, pyramids and stone monuments

Olmec Civilization

• Buildings/Monuments included columns, altars, sculpted heads (heads may have represented particular rulers and could weigh as much as 44 tons).

• Question: How could the Olmec transport such heavy monuments without use of the wheel?

Olmec Civilization

• Olmec prayed to a variety of nature gods (animist)

• Worshipped the jaguar spirit– a powerful rain god– Others believe there

were several jaguar gods that represented the earth, fertility, and maize (major crop)

Olmec Civilization

Olmec Civilization

• Ceremonial centers where important rituals were performed

• Prosperous people that directed a large trading network throughout Mesoamerica– Goods traveled as far as Mexico City to the

north and Honduras to the south– Iron ore and stones transported from faraway

regions

Olmec Civilization

• Olmec Civilization collapsed – Some experts speculate that outside invaders

caused the destruction– Others believe that the Olmec may have

destroyed their own monuments upon death of their rulers

Olmec Contributions

• Influenced the Maya

• Art styles and jaguar motif seen in pottery and sculpture

• Copied urban design

• Ball games

• No evidence of writing but stone symbols related to glyphs