The Olmec Civilization Objectives Explain how the Olmec

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 • What clues have helped did the centers of Olmec culture grow? • How did the Olmec create fields for growing crops? archaeologists to gain knowledge about Olmec culture?