The Olmecs (/ ˈɒlmɛks, ˈoʊl -/) or Olmec were an early major Mesoamerican civilization, flourishing in the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco from roughly 1200 to 400 BC during Mesoamerica's formative period.
The Olmec civilization is known for being the first great Mesoamerican culture. It is famous for its monumental sacred complexes, massive stone head sculptures, ball games, the drinking of chocolate, and animal gods.
Olmec, the first elaborate pre-Columbian civilization of Mesoamerica (c. 1200–400 BCE) and one that is thought to have set many of the fundamental patterns evinced by later American Indian cultures of Mexico and Central America, notably the Maya and the Aztec.
Who were the Olmec? The Olmec were the first major civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical lowlands on the Gulf of Mexico in the present-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. The name Olmec is a Nahuatl—the Aztec language—word; it means the rubber people./GettyImages-1078376232-15163f98e3b8418ea3fc7f6b06debf7e.jpg)
Discover the Olmec civilization, including timelines, important sites, important facts, subsistence and settlement, burning issues, and sources.