Olmecas
Sign in to saveThe Olmecs () or Olmec were an early major Mesoamerican civilization, flourishing in the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco from roughly 1200 to 400 BC during Mesoamerica's formative period. They were initially centered at the site of their development in San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, but moved to La Venta in the 10th century BC following the decline of San Lorenzo. By about 400 BC the major centres of the Olmec civilization had been abandoned, and the population of the eastern half of the Olmec heartland dropped precipitously. The settlement density in that area remained much
AI overview
The Olmecs were an early major civilization in ancient Mesoamerica (in present-day Mexico) that flourished from roughly 1200 to 400 BC, initially centered at San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán before relocating to La Venta around the 10th century BC. They matter as a formative period civilization whose cultural developments laid important groundwork for later Mesoamerican societies.
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Key facts
- Archaeological culture.name
- Olmecs
- Archaeological culture.map
- Olmec Heartland Overview 4.svg
- Archaeological culture.mapcaption
- The Olmec heartland, where the Olmec reigned from 1200 to 400 BC
- Archaeological culture.region
- Veracruz, Mexico
- Archaeological culture.period
- Preclassic Era
- Archaeological culture.dates
- – 400 BC
- Archaeological culture.typesite
- San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán
- Archaeological culture.majorsites
- La Venta, Tres Zapotes, Laguna de los Cerros
- Archaeological culture.precededby
- Archaic Mesoamerica
- Archaeological culture.followedby
- Epi-Olmecs
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
32 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Overview
- Origins
- La Venta
- Decline
- Artifacts
- Colossal heads
- Jade face masks
- Kunz axes
- Beyond the heartland
- Central Mexico
- Western Mexico
- Southern Mexico and Guatemala
- Nature of interaction
- Notable innovations
- Bloodletting and sacrifice speculation
- Writing
- Mesoamerican Long Count calendar and invention of the zero concept
- Mesoamerican ballgame
- Ethnicity and language
- Religion
- Social and political organization
- Trade
- Village life and diet
- History of archaeological research
- DNA
- Alternative origin speculations
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
The Olmecs () or Olmec were an early major Mesoamerican civilization, flourishing in the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco from roughly 1200 to 400 BC during Mesoamerica's formative period. They were initially centered at the site of their development in San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, but moved to La Venta in the 10th century BC following the decline of San Lorenzo. By about 400 BC the major centres of the Olmec civilization had been abandoned, and the population of the eastern half of the Olmec heartland dropped precipitously. The settlement density in that area remained much lower than during the height of Olmec dominance, and only intermittent occupation is evident until much later. Although the Olmec cultural style waned, elements of their tradition lived on in successor societies.
Among other "firsts", the Olmec appeared to practice ritual bloodletting and played the Mesoamerican ballgame, hallmarks of nearly all subsequent Mesoamerican societies. The aspect of the Olmecs most familiar now is their artwork, particularly the colossal heads. The Olmec civilization was first defined through artifacts which collectors purchased on the pre-Columbian art market in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Olmec artworks are considered among ancient America's most striking.