OLMEC

Student’s Name:
Instructor’s Name:
Course Name & Code:
Date of Submission:

OLMEC
The term Olmec refer to the culture of a group of Mexican inhabitants who lived in the hot coastal plain of the modern cities of Tabasco and Veracruz, between 1200 and 400 BC this area was also referred to as heartland due to the large numbers of this community and the their monuments. These inhabitants are one of the most fascinating communities to ever exist. They were the first society in Mexico and it is from this group that all other inhabitant of Mesoamerica followed. The community came to existence from around 1200 to about 400 BC and they inhabited in the forests, savannas, and rivers of the Gulf of Mexico. Very little is known of the Olmec’s community but what remains out clear is that the group followed a 365-day year, constructed pyramids using different types of designs , planted some crops such as avocado, corn and cacao, and had comparable religious practices as the Mayans who followed them practiced hunting and fishing (COE, M 77).
The wide range of distribution of Olmec work of art and Olmecoid iconography during much of Mesoamerica is a sign that the group practiced long-distance trade. Foreign, impressive and high-value materials for instance greenstone and sea shell were transported in large numbers over very long distances. Whereas the Olmec were not the first community in Mesoamerica to practice the long-distance trading, the Olmec era saw a major expansion in interregional trade routes, more range in material goods traded and a greater variety in the sources from which the base materials were acquired from.
Not much is documented about the communal of Olmec society. Though it is understood by most researchers that the huge heads and a number of other their sculptures represent leaders, but they have not yet found anything like it was the case with Maya society which named the exact leaders and provide the dates of their ruling. Alternatively, archaeologists had to depend on the information that they had gathered. These information provided indication of substantial centralization within the Olmec area, first at La Venta and then San Lorenzo no other Olmec locations come close to these in terms of region or in the amount and superiority of structural design and statue. This indication of geographic and demographic centralization guides the archaeologists to suggest that Olmec civilization itself was hierarchical, concentrated first at La Venta and then San Lorenzo, with elite that was capable to use their power over materials such as water and colossal stone to use command and legitimize their system. However, the community is considered to be short of several of the institutions of present societies. And there is no indication that La Venta or San Lorenzo controlled, even throughout their halcyon days, all of the Olmec heartland. There is some uncertainty, for instance, that La Venta restricted even Arroyo Sonso, only some 33 kilometers away. Researchers of the Tuxtla Mountain inhabitants, some 60 kilometers away, signified that this region was composed of more or less democratic societies outside the control of plain centers.
The community had religious activities that were performed by a group of leaders, priest and Shamans. The leaders appeared to have been the most significant spiritual figures, with their associations to the Olmec gods or supernatural providing authenticity for their ruling. There is also substantial indication for shamans in the Olmec archaeological documentation, mainly in the so-called transformation figures. As Olmec legends has left no records similar to the popup Vuh from Maya legends, any explanation of Olmec tradition must be founded on explanation of surviving colossal and portable art and connection with other Mesoamerican traditions. Olmec art demonstrates that such deities as the Feathered Serpent and a rain mystic were already in the Mesoamerican pantheon in Olmec eras.
Regardless of their size and planned urban design, which was imitative by other centers, La Venta and San Lorenzo were mainly ritual centers, and the a large number of Olmec lived in communities similar to present communities and hamlets in Tabasco and Veracruz. Communities were located on the mountains and highlands and comprised of a number of houses which were far from each other. A modest sanctuary may have been linked with the larger communities. The individual homes would comprise of a house, an associated shelter, and one or more storeroom pits. A nearby backyard was used for curative and cooking herbs and for smaller crops such as the cultivated sunflower and corns. Fruit were also planted such as avocado and cacao, were also available in the backyard. Even though the river banks were used for planting plant crops between flooding times, the community also practiced Sweden cultivation to clear the forest and bushes, and to provide new gardens once the old gardens were exhausted. Pastures were situated outside the communities, and were used for planting maize, manioc, sweet potato cotton and beans. Founded on archaeological studies of two communities in the Tuxtlas Mountains, it is acknowledged that maize farming became more and more imperative to the Olmec over time, even though their diet remained rather diverse. “The vegetables and fruits were complemented with fish, mollusks turtle and snake from the nearby rivers, and shellfish and crabs in the coastal regions. Birds were available as a source food, there were also game which included opossum, rabbits, and raccoon and in particular, deer.” (Ferguson, W. M. & Rohn, A. H 99) In spite of the wide variety of hunting and fishing available, midden studies in San Lorenzo have established that the domesticated dog was the single most abundant supply of animal protein and they would substitute dog and turkey meat in their diet so as to balance it. Olmec society had a religion which mainly featured worship of the werejaguars and Jaguar and although snake worship was accepted too. “They were for the idea that Jaguar was directly associated with an individual’s spirit and that should the Jaguar die, the individual would also die.” (COE, M 103) The community believed their leaders were either gods or that they were connected with the gods. They believed in the gods of fertility, sky, nature, war and fire.
The Olmec community had a high regard for art work as several cave paintings & huge stone monuments have been found, along with olive relic & statues. Classic Olmec art work featured jaguars, thick lipped militia and goatee bearded men and frequently a combination of jaguar and kids. As they assumed themselves to be children of the Jaguar, the creature was held in very high respect, and frequently featuring in religious rituals (Ferguson, W. M. & Rohn, A. H 66). A number of these colossal carved stone heads have been found up to 100 kilometers away from the source of the material which they were made from, leaving researchers still speculating precisely how they managed to carry such huge pieces in such a long distances, although the most likely explanation must be that they floated them on barges down the widespread network of rivers.

Below are some of the art work that the Olmec designed

Work Cited
COE, M. America's First Civilization: Discovering the Olmec. New York: The Smithsonian Library. 1999. Print

Ferguson, W. M. & Rohn, A. H. Mesoamerica's Ancient Cities, Niwot, Colorado, University Press of Colorado, 1999. Print

OLMEC

Student’s Name:
Instructor’s Name:
Course Name & Code:
Date of Submission:

OLMEC
The term Olmec refer to the culture of a group of Mexican inhabitants who lived in the hot coastal plain of the modern cities of Tabasco and Veracruz, between 1200 and 400 BC this area was also referred to as heartland due to the large numbers of this community and the their monuments. These inhabitants are one of the most fascinating communities to ever exist. They were the first society in Mexico and it is from this group that all other inhabitant of Mesoamerica followed. The community came to existence from around 1200 to about 400 BC and they inhabited in the forests, savannas, and rivers of the Gulf of Mexico. Very little is known of the Olmec’s community but what remains out clear is that the group followed a 365-day year, constructed pyramids using different types of designs , planted some crops such as avocado, corn and cacao, and had comparable religious practices as the Mayans who followed them practiced hunting and fishing (COE, M 77).
The wide range of distribution of Olmec work of art and Olmecoid iconography during much of Mesoamerica is a sign that the group practiced long-distance trade. Foreign, impressive and high-value materials for instance greenstone and sea shell were transported in large numbers over very long distances. Whereas the Olmec were not the first community in Mesoamerica to practice the long-distance trading, the Olmec era saw a major expansion in interregional trade routes, more range in material goods traded and a greater variety in the sources from which the base materials were acquired from.
Not much is documented about the communal of Olmec society. Though it is understood by most researchers that the huge heads and a number of other their sculptures represent leaders, but they have not yet found anything like it was the case with Maya society which named the exact leaders and provide the dates of their ruling. Alternatively, archaeologists had to depend on the information that they had gathered. These information provided indication of substantial centralization within the Olmec area, first at La Venta and then San Lorenzo no other Olmec locations come close to these in terms of region or in the amount and superiority of structural design and statue. This indication of geographic and demographic centralization guides the archaeologists to suggest that Olmec civilization itself was hierarchical, concentrated first at La Venta and then San Lorenzo, with elite that was capable to use their power over materials such as water and colossal stone to use command and legitimize their system. However, the community is considered to be short of several of the institutions of present societies. And there is no indication that La Venta or San Lorenzo controlled, even throughout their halcyon days, all of the Olmec heartland. There is some uncertainty, for instance, that La Venta restricted even Arroyo Sonso, only some 33 kilometers away. Researchers of the Tuxtla Mountain inhabitants, some 60 kilometers away, signified that this region was composed of more or less democratic societies outside the control of plain centers.
The community had religious activities that were performed by a group of leaders, priest and Shamans. The leaders appeared to have been the most significant spiritual figures, with their associations to the Olmec gods or supernatural providing authenticity for their ruling. There is also substantial indication for shamans in the Olmec archaeological documentation, mainly in the so-called transformation figures. As Olmec legends has left no records similar to the popup Vuh from Maya legends, any explanation of Olmec tradition must be founded on explanation of surviving colossal and portable art and connection with other Mesoamerican traditions. Olmec art demonstrates that such deities as the Feathered Serpent and a rain mystic were already in the Mesoamerican pantheon in Olmec eras.
Regardless of their size and planned urban design, which was imitative by other centers, La Venta and San Lorenzo were mainly ritual centers, and the a large number of Olmec lived in communities similar to present communities and hamlets in Tabasco and Veracruz. Communities were located on the mountains and highlands and comprised of a number of houses which were far from each other. A modest sanctuary may have been linked with the larger communities. The individual homes would comprise of a house, an associated shelter, and one or more storeroom pits. A nearby backyard was used for curative and cooking herbs and for smaller crops such as the cultivated sunflower and corns. Fruit were also planted such as avocado and cacao, were also available in the backyard. Even though the river banks were used for planting plant crops between flooding times, the community also practiced Sweden cultivation to clear the forest and bushes, and to provide new gardens once the old gardens were exhausted. Pastures were situated outside the communities, and were used for planting maize, manioc, sweet potato cotton and beans. Founded on archaeological studies of two communities in the Tuxtlas Mountains, it is acknowledged that maize farming became more and more imperative to the Olmec over time, even though their diet remained rather diverse. “The vegetables and fruits were complemented with fish, mollusks turtle and snake from the nearby rivers, and shellfish and crabs in the coastal regions. Birds were available as a source food, there were also game which included opossum, rabbits, and raccoon and in particular, deer.” (Ferguson, W. M. & Rohn, A. H 99) In spite of the wide variety of hunting and fishing available, midden studies in San Lorenzo have established that the domesticated dog was the single most abundant supply of animal protein and they would substitute dog and turkey meat in their diet so as to balance it. Olmec society had a religion which mainly featured worship of the werejaguars and Jaguar and although snake worship was accepted too. “They were for the idea that Jaguar was directly associated with an individual’s spirit and that should the Jaguar die, the individual would also die.” (COE, M 103) The community believed their leaders were either gods or that they were connected with the gods. They believed in the gods of fertility, sky, nature, war and fire.
The Olmec community had a high regard for art work as several cave paintings & huge stone monuments have been found, along with olive relic & statues. Classic Olmec art work featured jaguars, thick lipped militia and goatee bearded men and frequently a combination of jaguar and kids. As they assumed themselves to be children of the Jaguar, the creature was held in very high respect, and frequently featuring in religious rituals (Ferguson, W. M. & Rohn, A. H 66). A number of these colossal carved stone heads have been found up to 100 kilometers away from the source of the material which they were made from, leaving researchers still speculating precisely how they managed to carry such huge pieces in such a long distances, although the most likely explanation must be that they floated them on barges down the widespread network of rivers.

Below are some of the art work that the Olmec designed

Work Cited
COE, M. America's First Civilization: Discovering the Olmec. New York: The Smithsonian Library. 1999. Print

Ferguson, W. M. & Rohn, A. H. Mesoamerica's Ancient Cities, Niwot, Colorado, University Press of Colorado, 1999. Print