Olmec Culture

We explain what the Olmec culture was, its economy, religion, clothing and other characteristics. Furthermore, its main contributions.

olmec culture giant head mesoamerica
The Olmec culture emerged around 1200 BC. C. in Mesoamerica.

What was the Olmec culture?

The Olmec culture (also called Olmec civilization) It was a pre-Columbian culture that lived in Mesoamerica from the middle of the Formative or Preclassic period (around 1200 BC) to the beginning of the Late Preclassic period (around 400 BC). It is usually considered the “mother” of other Mesoamerican cultures as it was the first complex society in the area and exerted a lot of influence in the region.

The term “Olmec” (olmecatl) means “inhabitant of the rubber region” in the Nahuatl language (the language spoken by the Aztecs). It is the name that the Aztec or Mexica Empire gave many centuries later to the inhabitants of the current states of Veracruz and Tabasco, possibly without distinguishing their ethnic or linguistic origin. However, it is the only word available to call the Olmecs, since it is unknown what they called themselves.

Traditionally, the Olmecs are considered to have They inaugurated a Mesoamerican artistic and architectural style of which abundant remains still persist, from Jalisco to Costa Rica. Its motifs were later adopted and reworked by later cultures of the region. The decline of Olmec culture and its art is usually located in 400 BC. c.

Other Mesoamerican cultures were: Teotihuacan culture, Toltec culture, Mayan culture, Aztec culture, Totonac culture, Zapotec culture, Mixtec culture.

See also: Mesoamerican cultures

Geographic location of the Olmecs

The Olmecs emerged in the southeastern region of present-day Mexico in the south of the state of Veracruz and the west of Tabasco, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Subsequently, its influence spread throughout the Mesoamerican region, in the territories of present-day Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and some states of Mexico.

There are early indications of some characteristics of Olmec art in Chiapas and the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, but the ceremonial centers (planned spaces for political and religious ceremonies with plazas, platforms and buildings) from which this culture spread were located in the gulf. from Mexico. The main ceremonial centers and their respective dates of splendor were: San Lorenzo (1200-900 BC), La Venta (900-400 BC) and Tres Zapotes (400 BC)

Economy and social organization of the Olmec culture

The economy of the Olmecs It was mainly agricultural based on the cultivation of corn, beans, pumpkin and other plants. Also They dedicated a significant amount of time to trading with neighboring towns, through extensive exchange networks.

In this way, the Olmecs obtained precious resources, such as jade and obsidian with which they made statuettes and other artifacts that they used themselves or exchanged. As a result of this, the characteristics of the Olmec culture spread throughout Mesoamerica and influenced other cultures.

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On the other hand, not much is known about the way the Olmecs organized themselves, but judging by the motifs of their art and the characteristics of their ceremonial centers, it is likely that they had a complex society, with diverse classes in which warriors had a prominent role and rulers were identified with the gods. These rulers possibly came to office hereditarily and were represented in sculptures, such as the famous Olmec colossal heads.

Religion and deities of the Olmec culture

The Olmecs worshiped different deities.

The available evidence suggests that the Olmec culture was deeply religious. Olmec art contains representations of a large number of supernatural beings, which allows us to know that It was a polytheistic society with deities linked to agriculture, the stars, volcanoes and other aspects of the natural world and the cosmos.

Furthermore, the Olmecs worshiped animals considered sacred, such as the jaguar which also gave rise to the so-called “man-jaguar”, beings that were half feline and half human. They also worshiped toads, alligators, eagles, snakes, sharks and a group of beings represented with the head of one animal and the body of another.

It is estimated that it was a dynastic religion, that is, that linked its rulers directly to the gods as if they were his heirs.

Olmec clothing

Judging by the statuettes and other artistic representations that are still preserved, the Olmecs They wore light clothing made of cotton or other vegetable fibers. In addition, they used various methods of personal adornment depending on the activity carried out and the place occupied within the hierarchical order of society.

Feathers, septum piercings, nose rings, earrings, and pectoral ornaments were common on some men, especially warriors and rulers. The rulers could also wear a headdress or helmet on their heads. Women could have ear muffs, hairstyles and headdresses that highlighted their social status and wore upper garments, such as the huipil and quechquemitl, with skirts underneath.

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Contributions of the Olmecs

The Olmec culture influenced later Mesoamerican cultures.

The Olmecs contributed significantly to Mesoamerican culture through the development of an artistic, architectural, and symbolic style that influenced other societies in the region. In this sense, they stood out for:

  • The discovery of natural rubber or latex from the rubber trees of the region.
  • The creation of imposing buried sculptures in the shape of heads, up to three meters high, carved in stone and known as “colossal heads”.
  • The construction of pyramids and ceremonial centers that inspired other later cultures.
  • The cult of divinities with animal forms like the snake, which may have influenced the beliefs of neighboring or later cultures.
  • Cocoa cultivation and the first forms of chocolate preparation, which spread throughout Mesoamerica.
  • The development of a sport in which rubber balls were used on specially designed courts, which probably influenced the ball game played by other Mesoamerican cultures.

See also:

References

  • Britannica, Encyclopaedia (2023). Olmec. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
  • Khan Academy (sf). The Olmec. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/
  • López Austin, A. & López Luján, L. (2001). The indigenous past. Economic Culture Fund-El Colegio de México.
  • Manzanilla, L. & López Luján, L. (coords.) (2001). Ancient History of Mexico. 4 vols. National Institute of Anthropology and History.
  • von Wobeser, G. (ed.) (2014). History of Mexico. Economic Culture Fund.