The Olmecs

A civilization is a culture that has developed a form of government, religion

and learning. One of the earliest civilizations in the Americas was the Olmec Civilization. The Olmecs lived about 1500 B.C. They lived in the forests along the rivers of Mexico's east coast

Many later groups of Native peoples learned from the Olmec civilization. So the Olmecs are called the "mother civilization" of the Americas.

Many Olmec activities of daily life had to do with religion. An important Olmec god was the rain god. The rain god was drawn as a jaguar.

The jaguar image was often included in Olmec art.

The Olmecs were an advanced civilization. They made works of art

and were builders.

They built temples on top of pyramids. Olmec villages were connected by paved roads. The Olmecs built huge stone faces which looked out over their villages. Each stone face weighed as much as 20 tons.

The Olmecs also developed their own number system, a writing system,

and a calendar.

The Olmecs were traders. They traded with people who lived hundreds of

miles away in present-day Mexico and Central America.

Trade helped spread the Olmec culture in the Americas. The spread of culture through trade is called cultural diffusion.