The Olmec Civilization

 

 

By: Amy and Melissa

 

 

 

• This is a pyramid made by the Olmec Civilization

 

 

 

 

Origins

 

• The Olmec Civilization first appeared around 300B.C.

 

• They are the first of the many ancient Mesoamerican civilizations including the Mayans and the Aztec.

 

• They are thought to be the first civilization to have a written language

 

Location

 

• The Olmec Civilization was located in an area south of the south coast of the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain of southern Veracruz

 

• It was in Mesoamerica

• This map shows that The Olmec Heartland was located on the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico and next to Oaxaca and Maya Area

 

 

 

 

 Culture

 

• The Olmecs spoke a language in the Mixe-Zoquean family.

 

• Ball games took place in large centers like La Venta

 

• They made big huge stone heads that represented famous ball players or kings.

 

• None of the heads look the same but they all have a few alike features such as...wide lips, flat noses, and big headpieces.

 

• It is not known what they ate.

 

• They invented drainage systems using stone drains 

 

 

• On the left, is a huge stone head made by the Olmecs. On the right, is a sculpture the Olmecs made

 

 

 

Religion

 

• Religion was probably a form of shamanism.

 

• They believed they were children of the jaguar

 

• The shaman were contortionists, or able to bend their bodies in odd ways

 

• This is a picture of a jaguar. The Olmecs believes they were children of the jaguar

Disappearance

 

• The Olmec vanished mysteriously in 300 B.C.E.

Sources

 

"Olmec Civilization"

 

<http://www.crystalinks.com/olmecs.html>

 

Minnesota State University. "Olmec"

 

May 9, 2009 <http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/latinamerica/meso/cultures/olmec.html>

 

"Olmec"

 

May 13,2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmec>

 

"Timelines, Olmec"

 

<http://timelinesdb.com/listevents.php?subjid=674&title=Olmec>