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The Olmec Civilization
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The Olmec Civilization The 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 tel...
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