Olmec Civilization

By: Brianna Williams, Naseeb Tak, and Tatiana Williams

Smiple facts about the olmec's:

The olmec civilization was the first civilization to appear in mesoamerica.

Archeologists first discovered the olmec society in the 1940's. They were called the olmec or the "rubber people" because rubber trees grew were they lived.

Culture:

The olmec culture was first defined as an art style. Olmec artforms emphasize both monumental statuary and small jade carvings and jewlery. Olmec objects have been found in central Mexico. The olmec had large cities that were centers for their religious rituals. In addition to human and human-like subjects, Olmec artisans were adept at animal portrayals.

Lifestyle of the olmec:

Majority of the Olmec lived in villages similar to present-day villages and hamlets in Tabasco and Veracruz. These villages were located on higher ground and consisted of several scattered houses. A modest temple may have been associated with the larger villages. Gardens were used for medicinal, cooking herbs, and for growing smaller crops. River banks were used to plant crops between flooding periods.

Religon:

Olmec religious activities were performed by a combination of rulers, full-time priests, and shamans.The rulers seem to have been the most important religious figure, had links to the Olmec deities or supernaturals that provided legitimacy for their rules.

Language and writing:

The Olmec writing system is unique. There are other later hieroglyphs known as "Epi-Olmec". "Epi-Olmec" which means "post Olmec", and while there are some people who believe that Epi-Olmec may represent a transitional script between an earlier, unknown Olmec writing system. The Olmecs spoke and aspect of the Manding (Malinke-Bambara) language spoken in West Africa.