The Olmec

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The Olmec

• Ancient People of Latin America

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Beginnings

• Only discovered as a separate civilization in
  1900s.
• Much still to learn and pull-apart from later
  civilizations
• Much of the culture of later peoples (Maya and
  Aztec) adapted from Olmec

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Earliest Civilization

• Possibly 1500100BCE
• Gulf coast region of So. Mexico expanded into
  Guatemala
• Olmecmeans rubber people in Atzec language
• Why? Found rubber balls made from rubber trees
  (Castilla elastica) in region
• How? Juice of a vine added to latex in tree
  creates rubber

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Olmec Culture

• Social classes
• simple 2 class structure
• Elite living in towns
• Commoners living on farms
• Daily Life
• maybe introduced world to maize (corn)
• fish, turtlesometimes dog/turkey eaten

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Olmec Society

• Religion
• Polytheistic maybe worshipped jaquar
• (1/2 jaquar ½ human statues found)
• Ceremonial sites in big cities
• Earthen mounds, some with house-like structures
  on top developed into tall pyramid type mounds
  religious sites

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Olmec Society

• Arts/Architecture
• Cities built in swampy jungle river basins
• Drainage systemsU-shaped basalt rocks
• (aqueducts?)
• Cities built in an axial pattern (style used by
  subsequent people for centuries)
• Cities had public-ceremonial bldgs
• elite residences
• commoners houses

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Olmec Society

• Art
• over 170 monuments found
• Pottery, statuttes
• Jade iron objects
• HUGE stone heads17 found
• helmets or headdresses?
• ball players or kings?
• single block of stone
• similar facial features (downturned mouths
  slit-like eyes)

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Olmec Society

• Writing
• some debate on thisdid they develop it first?
• -engraved symbols found on pottery, statuettes
  etc. may be writing
• -if so, unique yet similar to that of West
  Africa
• Mathematics use of true zero
• --calendar dating system using dots and
  bars

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Subsequent People of Latin America
European Invasion
Inca
Olmec
Maya
Aztec
1500BC
1400 AD
1 AD
300AD
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The End