The Olmec Civilization

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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?