Definition: The Olmec civilization is the name given to a sophisticated central American culture between 1200 and 400 BC. The Olmec heartland lies in the states of Veracruz and Tabasco, at the narrow part of Mexico west of the Yucatan peninsula and east of Oaxaca. While the early period sites show relatively simple egalitarian societies based on hunting and fishing, the Olmecs eventually established a highly complex level of political government, including public building projects such as pyramids and large platform mounds; agriculture; a writing system; and a characteristic sculptural artistry including enormous stone heads with heavy features reminiscent of angry babies.
- Pre-Olmec: 1750-1500 BC
- Early Formative: 1500-1150 BC
- Middle Formative: 1150-400 BC
- The Cascajal Block, a large block found in a quarry that may be among the earliest written records in central America, and
- The search for bitumen sources, which was an important resource to many archaeological societies in central America.
Sources
Cyphers, A. 1999 From Stone to Symbols: Olmec Art in Social Context at San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán. In Social Patterns in Pre-Classic Mesoamerica. DC Grove and RA Joyce, eds. Pp. 155-181. Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks.
Flannery, KV and J Marcus 2000 Formative Mexican Chiefdoms and the Myth of the "Mother Culture". Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 19(1):1-37.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Examples: La Venta, Cacaxtla, Tres Zapotes, Tenango del Valle, San Lorenzo, Laguna de los Cerros
