1. The Olmec Civilization

2. Objectives
Explain how the Olmec used the land to develop their agriculture
Identify and describe the achievements of the Olmec civilization

3. Where did the Olmec civilization develop?
Golf of Mexico
What kind of climate would this be?
Lush Rainforest – coastal plain that was hot and wet

4. What does “Olmec” mean?
“People of the Rubber Country” in the Aztec language
What the Olmec called themselves remains a mystery
Left behind no written records as far as we know
They DID leave many artifacts
There were many rubber trees in the area

5. Who were the Olmec? Flourished between 1200 BC and 400 BC
Lived almost entirely in the rainforest
Rivers cut through the forest to reach the Gulf of Mexico
Lush environment was rich in food
Forest provided fruits, like guava
Fish, turtles, ducks, wild turkeys, boars, and deer were plentiful
Probably hunted and gathered

6. Agriculture
Great success in agriculture allowed Olmec to build a stable culture
Used a slash and burn method: farmers cleared (slashed) dense jungle growth with stone axes
Burned what remained (leftover ashes helped to enrich the soil)

7. Flooding What other early farmers made use of flooding?
Egypt (Nile)
China (Huang He)
Made use of flooding rivers to grow cops
After summer floods deposited new soil, planted fertile river banks with crops
Three main crops: corn, beans, squash

8. The Town of La Venta
Located on a large island, surrounded by swamps and rivers
Near what is now southern Mexico

9. Center of La Venta Huge earthen mound (82 ft. high)
Probably base of an Olmec pyramid
Beyond mound: smaller mounds and a large plaza surrounded by stone pillars
In plaza: four enormous stone heads – the largest is 40 tons

10. The Heads Each wears a hat like a football helmet
Each helmet has its own symbol, which may stand for a name of a ruler

11. What do artifacts tell us?
CLUES about the past!
They tell us about the people living in La Venta, and they tell us that they did specialized work
Stone carvers
Tools made to grind corn
Delicate items made for religious uses
Most people were farmers – growing food was the central activity at La Venta

12. Why might monuments have been created?
They may have reminded the people of the authority of their leaders

13. Olmec Religion Artifacts provide us with hints We know that:
They practiced polytheism
Gods of fire, rain, and the sun
Found special alters that were used to make sacrifices to the gods
What does sacrifice mean?
To give up or destroy something for the sake of something else

14. Animals Believed that certain animals had special powers
No animal was as powerful as the jaguar
Many statues of jaguars have been found

15. Crafts Many beads and small carvings were found
They indicate that the Olmec like to wear jewelry
Men and women wore bracelets, necklaces, and earrings made of jade and other beautiful stones
Headdresses were worn by leaders (feathers and beads)

16. The Collection of Sap
Sap was collected from rubber trees to make rubber balls
Used solid rubber balls to play special games in open fields

17. Traders
Archaeologists believe that the Olmec traded with many other groups of people in Middle America
Olmec artifacts have been found in central Mexico, 300 miles to the north

18. Sum it Up
The Olmec built one of the earliest civilization in the Americas
They developed a system of slash and burn agriculture in a dense rainforest environment
The Olmec were craft workers who designed jewelry
They probably traded with other people in Middle America in exchange for goods

19. Checking for Understanding
In which part of Middle America did the centers of Olmec culture grow?
How did the Olmec create fields for growing crops?
What clues have helped archaeologists to gain knowledge about Olmec culture?