- What was the Olmec culture?
- Geographic location of the Olmecs
- Olmec economy
- Religion and deities of the Olmec culture
- Social organization of the Olmec culture
- Olmec dress
- Contributions of the Olmecs
We explain what the Olmec culture was, its economy, religion, clothing and other characteristics. In addition, his main contributions.
What was the Olmec culture?
The Olmec culture (also called simply the Olmecs) was a culture pre-Columbian that inhabited Mesoamerica from the Formative Period (around 2000 years before Christ) to the Classic Period (400 years before Christ). It is estimated that it was the "mother" of all other Mesoamerican cultures.
The term "Olmec" (olmecatl) means in the Aztec language "inhabitant of the rubber region" and it is the only word we have to call this civilization. In fact, we do not know what the Olmecs called themselves.
It is possible that this name was given by the Mexica Empire to the inhabitants of the region of the current Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco for centuries, without distinguishing their cultural or linguistic origin.
This term was also used by archaeologists of the 20th century to refer to the Nahuatl Olmec-Xicalanca culture, with which we should not confuse the Olmecs, although it is likely that there was an ancestral affiliation between the two.
Traditionally, the Olmecs are considered the inaugurators of a Mesoamerican artistic and architectural style of which there are still abundant ruins, from Jalisco to Costa Rica. His motifs were later adopted by later cultures in the region. This would mean that the Olmec culture remained alive even after its decline occurred.
Other cultures:
| Teotihuacan culture | Mayan culture |
| Aztec culture | Greek culture |
| Totonac culture | Zapotec culture |
| Toltec culture | Mixtec culture |
Geographic location of the Olmecs
The Olmecs arose in the southeastern region of present-day Mexico, especially in the states of Veracruz and Tabasco. Later, its influence spread throughout the entire Mesoamerican region, in the territories of what is now Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras.
There is evidence of its origin both in Chiapas and the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, as well as in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. But its main ceremonial centers were: San Lorenzo (1150 BC), La Venta (1750 BC) and Tres Zapotes (900 BC).
Olmec economy
It is likely that the economy of the Olmecs has been mainly agricultural, but with an important margin for the Commerce with neighboring towns, through vast and elaborate exchange networks.
Thus their culture was adopted and distributed throughout the continent, being valued by other cultures. Rubber, abundant in the region, may have served as a trade good.
Religion and deities of the Olmec culture
Everything indicates that the Olmec culture was deeply religious. It was theocratic, polytheistic, with mainly agricultural deities, representing the stars, the volcanoes and other aspects of the cosmos.
They had sacred animals, such as the jaguar, which they worshiped abundantly. They also worshiped toads, alligators, and a vast mythology of beings with the head of one and the body of another.
It is estimated that it was a dynastic religion, that is, that it linked its rulers directly with the gods, as if they were their heirs. But it was a religion complex that has not yet been fully deciphered.
Social organization of the Olmec culture
Not much is known about the way the Olmecs organized themselves, but judging by the complexity of their representations, it is likely that they had a complex society, with various strata, in which warriors and soldiers played a prominent role.
Olmec dress
Judging from the samples of art and the preserved Olmec statuettes, this culture probably wore light clothing of cultivated cotton. They also used various methods of personal adornment depending on the activity carried out and the place within the social order and its hierarchies.
Nasal partitions, feathers, nose rings, and pectoral earrings were surely common in men, especially warriors. Women used to wear huipil and quechquemitl, with skirts underneath.
Contributions of the Olmecs
The Olmecs contributed significantly to Mesoamerican culture and, indirectly, to human civilization, through the development of an artistic style, architectural and particular philosophical, in addition to:
- The discovery of rubber or natural latex, from rubber trees.
- Its imposing sculptures buried, which are shaped like a giant head (3 meters) and were later replicated by other local cultures.
- The construction of pyramids and ceremonial centers whose ruins inspired other later cultures.
- They were the first connoisseurs of the cocoa, which they knew how to turn into primitive forms of chocolate.
- They played a sport unknown, in which they used rubber balls on specially designed courts.