Olmecs

• What time period did the Olmecs exist?

  1200 BCE - 400 BCE
• Where were the Olmecs located?


  In the Gulf of Mexico
• What types of monuments did the Olmecs carve?

  Monuments at sites such as San Lorenzo and La Venta
• What was the climate like in the Olmec region?


  Hot temperatures and humid lowlands
• What was the religious belief system of the Olmecs?

  Polytheistic with the belief in 3 gods (physical, underworld, sky realm)
• What types of rituals did the Olmecs engage in?

  Human sacrifice, cave rituals, and offerings
• What ceremonial game did the Olmecs play?


  A game played on a stone court with a ball made from sap of a local rubber tree
• What nickname did the Olmecs earn due to their discovery?

  Rubber people
• What materials did the Olmecs use to carve stone heads and altars?

  Basalt and jade
• What significant structures did the Olmecs build?

  Pyramids
• What is known about the political structure of the Olmecs?


  Specific details about their governance remain unknown due to limited records
• How were the political and societal structures of the Olmecs related?


  Their political and societal structures were closely linked
• What characterized the Olmec economy?


  Intense agriculture mainly based on crops such as maize (corn) and beans
• What types of trade did the Olmecs engage in?

  They engaged in trade and imported greenstones and sea shells
• What are the social classes in Olmec society?

  • Elites
  • Merchants
  • Artisans
  • Laborers
  • Commoners
  • Peasants
  • Slaves