1. The Olmec Civilization
By: Kari Seres, Ginger Eastman, Gabby Young, Amy Brennan
Date: September 12th, 2012
6th hour

2. Political
The cities of Olmec Civilization arose from competing chiefdoms
The Olmec Civilization is sometimes referred to as “The mother civilization of Mesoamerica.”
Ruler’s of the villages doubled as Religious leaders

4. Interactions with the Environment
The Olmec people used agriculture to farm maize, beans, and squash (the three sisters).
They also built mounds, pyramids, and temples.
The Olmec Civilization was located in Mesoamerica/Latin America

5. Map of Olmec Civilization

6. Where the Olmec Civilization would be located today.

7. Religion/Belief System
Olmec people took part in mound building, artistic styles, urban planning, games, ritual sacrifice, and bloodletting by their leaders.
They also had many ceremonial centers in which consisted of elaborately decorated temples, altars, pyramids, and tombs.
Their rulers’ tombs were more intricate than those of the regular class citizens.
Religious leaders were also the leaders of the village/community

10. Arts and Sciences
By 900 B.C.E. The Olmec created the first written language in the Americas
They also played a game that involved rubber ball
Boulder statues- including enormous basalt carved heads that are believed to be replicated after certain rulers.

11. One of the head statues from the Olmec Civilization.

12. These head statues weigh about 20 tons and vary of heights and widths from 6-10 feet.

13. Technology
Technologies of the Olmec Civilization included their writing, farming techniques, and buildings/structures
The Olmec are known to be responsible for many of the “first” technologies in the Americas such as:
Writing
Epigraphy
Zero
The Mesoamerican calendar
The Mesoamerican Ball-game

14. Olmec Writing piece

15. This is a picture of a Mesoamerican ball game court.

16. Economic
The Olmec had an agricultural economy mainly based on the crops of maize corn, beans, and squash.
The Olmec also had a network of long distance trade. They have been believed to import/export mass amounts of sea shell and greenstone.

18. Social
Homes of Olmec villagers consisted of a house, a storage pit (sometimes more than one), and a nearby garden.
As far as social classes go mainly the population was made up of a Middle Class, who were mostly farmers. The other small percentage were the High Class, who were artisans, rulers, and priests, usually having a religious role.

20. Bibliography
<
Olmec Civilization. 12 September 2012 <
Strayer, Robert. Ways of the World. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011.