New Light on the Olmec
New Light on the OlmecThe Olmec were Mesoamerica’s first civilization. They were located
in Laguna de los Cerros, tres Zapotes, San Lorenzo, La Venta, and the
Tuxtla Mountains, in Mexico. The purpose of this report is to show how
the Olmec lived, their beliefs, and their spectacular art.
The Olmec were a mother culture to later civilizations. The culture
of the Olmec started in Mexico’s Gulf Coast between 1200 and 1400 B.C ,
approximately between the Trojan war, and the golden age of Athens, and
ended about 3000 years ago. The Olmec were among the first Americans to
design ritual centres and raise earthen pyramids. On the pyramids there
were statues which were strategically placed as a shrine. As the Olmec
culture gradually developed some Olmec villages grew strong and
powerful, while others were less fortunate. The villages shared their
resources, such as rubber and basalt. The Olmec had different social
ranks, from workers such as fishers, farmers, traders and specialists
such as artisans and sculptors, to rulers. Rulers were individuals who
had the power to float basalt down the river and to commission colossal
statues and other public work. The Olmec farmed and ate corn. They also
ate shellfish, fish, turtles, beans, deer, and dog. Perhaps the most
spectacular trait of the Olmec were that they used hieroglyphs. They
used hieroglyphs to record dates, events, and to tell stories. Although
the Olmec were hard workers they still had time for a ceremonial ball
game.
The Olmec had many beliefs. Among these beliefs were chaneques
which were dwarf trixters who lived in water falls. They also had their
own beliefs in cosmology. The Olmec had natural shrines devoted to the
hill on which the shrine was located and the water....
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