Los Olmecas

Los Olmecas

1) The Olmecas civilization began around 1200 B.C.E. and it ended around 400 B.C.E.
2) The Olmecas civilization was located in the tropical coastal plains of what are now the Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco.

3) Ten facts about the Olmeca civilization:

1) The Olmeca civilization was first Meso-American civilization. They paved the way for the other great civilization of Meso-America.

2) Olmeca means “rubber people” in the Nahualt language.

3) The Olmeca civilization is known for their colossal head statues. There has been 17 colossal heads unearthed so far.

4) Many of the Olmeca artwork was made from jade. Jade was more valuable than gold or silver to the Olmecas.

5) There were four major cities of the Olmeca civilization; La Venta, San Lorenza, Laguna de los Cerros, and Tres Zapotes.

6) These cities were also very important religious centers of the Olmeca civilization. The cities were constructed around a raised mound. These mounds were the center of the religious activity.

7) It is believed that the Olmecas were the first to practice bloodletting rituals.

8) It is believed that the Olmecas were the originators of the Mesoamerican ball court game, “Juego de Pelota”. A dozen rubber balls were found in El Manati, a sacrificial bog. The balls were dated to 1600 B.C.E. or earlier.

9) The Olmeca main diet consisted maize, beans and squash.

10) The Olmeca economy centered around agricultural production on fertile floodplains, and was supplemented by fishing and shellfishing.

4) What I learned about the Olmeca civilization:

Through my research of the Olmeca civilization I discovered various things about this civilizations. I now know that the Olmecas are one of the first Meso-American civilizations. Many concepts and ideas were first utilized by the Olmecas. I learned that Olmecas lived in the Mexican states that are now Veracruz and Tabasco. In my research I discoverd that Olmeca means "rubber people" in Nahualt. There has been 17 Olmeca head statues.

Assignment:

Choose one of the three following civilizations, Aztecs, Mayas, Incas...

1) Write the time period in which this civilization lived in.

2) Write the location in which this civilization flourished.

3) Write 10 facts about this civilizartion.

4) Write a paragraph (5-7 sentences) stating what you learned about the civilization you had researched.

5) Write a comment on my blog and another student's blog.