The Tres Zapotes site, on the western edge of the Olmec heartland, continued to be occupied well past 400 BCE, but without the hallmarks of the Olmec culture. Discovery of the first colossal head in 1962. What are the Early, Late, and Terminal Formative periods mentioned in the article? It is thought that the fall of the Olmecs' were due to internal strife or ecological changes . The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Volcanic eruptions during the Early, Late and Terminal Formative periods would have blanketed the lands and forced the Olmec to move their settlements. The Olmec were the first major civilization to arise in Mesoamerica. [20] Buried deep within La Venta lay opulent, labor-intensive "offerings" 1000 tons of smooth serpentine blocks, large mosaic pavements, and at least 48 separate votive offerings of polished jade celts, pottery, figurines, and hematite mirrors. [82], As Olmec mythology has left no documents comparable to the Popol Vuh from Maya mythology, any exposition of Olmec mythology must be based on interpretations of surviving monumental and portable art (such as the Seor de Las Limas statue at the Xalapa Museum), and comparisons with other Mesoamerican mythologies. Diehl, p. 106. The Olmec Civilization was the first major civilization in the Central American region and took birth in the present day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. Despite their size and deliberate urban design, which was copied by other centers,[92] San Lorenzo and La Venta were largely ceremonial centers, and the majority of the Olmec lived in villages similar to present-day villages and hamlets in Tabasco and Veracruz.[93]. It was inferred that the colossal heads depicted the Olmec Civilization's deities. Five of six radiocarbon dates for the San Lorenzo phase fall within the 1200-900 B.C. It's now housed in the Parque-Museum La Venta, in Villahermosa, the capital of the Mexican state of Tabasco. Olmec Civilization - Crystalinks. Maize and other crops were a later addition to their foodstuffs. But an argument against an Olmec origin is the fact that the Olmec civilization had ended by the 4th centuryBCE, several centuries before the earliest known Long Count date artifact. Volcanic eruptions during the Early, Late, and Terminal Formative periods would have blanketed the lands with ash and forced the Olmec to move their settlements. Many theories have been advanced to account for the occurrence of Olmec influence far outside the heartland, including long-range trade by Olmec merchants, Olmec colonization of other regions, Olmec artisans travelling to other cities, conscious imitation of Olmec artistic styles by developing towns some even suggest the prospect of Olmec military domination or that the Olmec iconography was actually developed outside the heartland. The Aztecs believed disease to be caused either by natural or divine reasons. For example, numerous natural and ceramic stingray spikes and maguey thorns have been found at Olmec sites,[58] and certain artifacts have been identified as bloodletters. . He was often too called upon as a medicine man to heal the sick. It is famous for its monumental sacred complexes, massive stone head sculptures, ball games, the drinking of chocolate, and animal gods. [37], The heads were carved from single blocks or boulders of volcanic basalt, found in the Sierra de los Tuxtlas. [77] Campbell and Kaufman proposed that the presence of these core loanwords indicated that the Olmec generally regarded as the first "highly civilized" Mesoamerican society spoke a language ancestral to MixeZoquean. Colossal heads (which can be up to 3m (10ft) tall); Rectangular "altars" (more likely thrones), Free-standing in-the-round sculpture, such as the twins from, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 21:57. Online Encyclopedias Read an overview of the Olmecs here: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Olmec The name Olmec is a Nahuatlthe Aztec languageword; it means the rubber people. [106], Early modern explorers and archaeologists, however, mistakenly applied the name "Olmec" to the rediscovered ruins and artifacts in the heartland decades before it was understood that these were not created by the people the Aztecs knew as the "Olmec", but rather a culture that was 2000 years older. The individual dwellings would consist of a house, an associated lean-to, and one or more storage pits (similar in function to a root cellar). San Lorenzo, the oldest known Olmec centre, dates to about 1150 bce, a time when the rest of Mesoamerica was at best on a Neolithic level. The Olmec flourished during Mesoamerica's formative period, dating roughly from as early as 1500 BCE to about 400 BCE. Located about 40 kilometres (25mi) south of Mexico City, Zazacatla covered about 2.5 square kilometres (1sqmi) between 800 and 500BCE.[51]. Pre-Olmec cultures had flourished since about 2500BCE, but by 16001500BCE, early Olmec culture had emerged, centered on the San Lorenzo Tenochtitln site near the coast in southeast Veracruz. La Venta, east of San Lorenzo and closer to the Gulf Coast (15 kilometers/9 miles) in the modern Mexican state of Tabasco, reached its height in about 900500 C.E. [91] While the Olmec were not the first in Mesoamerica to organize long-distance exchanges of goods, the Olmec period saw a significant expansion in interregional trade routes, more variety in material goods exchanged and a greater diversity in the sources from which the base materials were obtained. Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society. Many of the intellectual accomplishments of the Olmec, such as a writing system . Also, in 2007, archaeologists unearthed Zazacatla, an Olmec-influenced city in Morelos. Frans Blom and Oliver La Farge made the first detailed descriptions of La Venta and San Martin Pajapan Monument 1 during their 1925 expedition. "[46], Another type of artifact is much smaller; hardstone carvings in jade of a face in a mask form. Serra Puche, Mari Carmen and Fernan Gonzalez de la Vara, Karina R. Durand V. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Olmec influences on Mesoamerican cultures, its sides show bas-reliefs of humans holding quite lively were-jaguar babies. See also Pool (2007), pp. It existed from 1400 BC to 400 BC. The Olmec colossal heads are the most famous artifacts left behind by the Olmec civilization. For example, Diehl, p. 170 or Pool, p. 54. and lasted until about 400 B.C.E. The Kunz axes (also known as "votive axes") are figures that represent werejaguars and were apparently used for rituals. Derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word Olmecatl, which means inhabitant of the rubber country, Olmec is a reference to the rubber production in the area where many of the artifacts have been found. The Olmec civilization developed in the ancient region of Mexico around 1200 B.C.E. Chalcatzingo, in Valley of Morelos, central Mexico, which features Olmec-style monumental art and rock art with Olmec-style figures. [72], The Olmec are strong candidates for originating the Mesoamerican ballgame so prevalent among later cultures of the region and used for recreational and religious purposes. Direct link to Orion Mitchell's post Explain how the Olmec and, Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to Sally Joyce's post What are the Early, Late,, Posted 4 years ago. The Olmec Civilization's Rise and Fall There are differing opinions regarding the Olmec timeline. Olmec-style artifacts tend to appear earlier in some parts of Guerrero than in the Veracruz-Tabasco area. His face has been worn down over time so features are not discernible. See Cyphers (1999) for a more detailed discussion. Tabasco, Mexico. [36], The heads range in size from the Rancho La Cobata head, at 3.4m (11ft) high, to the pair at Tres Zapotes, at 1.47m (4ft 10in). It thrived along Mexico's Gulf coast from approximately 1200 - 400 B.C. 1200-400 BCE; polished green quartz (aventurine); height: 29cm, width: 13.5cm; British Museum (London), 900-500 BCE; stone; Dallas Museum of Art (Texas, US), 12th3rd century BCE; stone; height: 32.2cm, width: 14cm, depth: 11.5cm; Cleveland Museum of Art (Ohio, US), 800-400 BCE; serpentine, cinnabar; Dallas Museum of Art, Olmec-style artifacts, designs, figurines, monuments and iconography have been found in the archaeological records of sites hundreds of kilometres outside the Olmec heartland. Genetic Affiliation of Pre-Hispanic and Contemporary Mayas Through Maternal Linage (Ochoa-Lugo 2016), Villamar Becerril Enrique, Estudios de ADN y el origen de los olmecas, Arqueologa Mexicana, nm. They were the first people to built roads through the jungle, roads which were used by them as trade routes. The Olmec were the first great Mesoamerican civilization. Direct link to David Alexander's post The Olmecs appreciated th, all areas covering the indigenous societies of Latin America, specifically the region of the Maya civilization. [3] The Olmec civilization was first defined through artifacts which collectors purchased on the pre-Columbian art market in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. La Venta becomes the Olmec capital. These cultures, such as the Maya, Zapotec, Totonac, and Teotihuacn civilizations have unique art, architecture, and cultures that separate them from each other, but many historians trace all of these cultures back to their shared Olmec heritage. [86], Nonetheless, Olmec society is thought to lack many of the institutions of later civilizations, such as a standing army or priestly caste. In the case of the Olmec, archaeologists think artifacts found primarily on the northern half of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mesoamerica from 1200500 C.E. [83], Little is directly known about the societal or political structure of Olmec society. [19] La Venta sustained the Olmec cultural traditions with spectacular displays of power and wealth. 126151. [34], Curators and scholars refer to "Olmec-style" face masks but, to date, no example has been recovered in an archaeologically controlled Olmec context. The Olmec civilization is best known for their giant bedrock head sculptures which are considered some of the most beautiful masterpieces in our time. The Olmecs appreciated the colossal heads, and put them on the ground. The medicine of the Incas today The empire of the Incas extended from the city of Cusco to the present territories of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Argentina. The Mayas sutured wounds with human hair, reduced fractures, and used casts. The Olmec society lasted from about 1600 BCE to around 350 BCE, when environmental factors made their villages unlivable. Evidence of Olmec gods can be found in later Mesoamerican mythology as we know that Maya and Aztecs both worshiped feathered serpent deities such as . [16] A wholesale destruction of many San Lorenzo monuments also occurred c. 950s BCE, which may indicate an internal uprising or, less likely, an invasion. The Olmec culture was first defined as an art style, and this continues to be the hallmark of the culture. 8.). See Santley, et al., p.4, for a discussion of Mesoamerican centralization and decentralization. The heads date between 900 and 700 BC and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica. Given that the Olmec worshiped anthropomorphic deities, do you think they believed their rulers were human beings? Most cultures develop with outside influences by engaging in activities such as trade and immigration. Olmec culture influenced many other Mesoamerican cultures, providing the invention of the Mesoamerican calendar, the ball game, writing, and the invention of the zero as a mathematical function. [14], Some of the heads, and many other monuments, have been variously mutilated, buried and disinterred, reset in new locations and/or reburied. span. The Olmecs were a full-fledged civilization because they were more organized and socially advanced than their predecessors. They also built earthen mounds and pyramids, and ceramics of several types that became common throughout a broad region influenced by the Olmec civilization. Wichmann, Beliaev & Davletshin, (in press Sep 2008). Although it is assumed by most researchers that the colossal heads and several other sculptures represent rulers, nothing has been found like the Maya stelae which name specific rulers and provide the dates of their rule. They may have been the originators of the Mesoamerican ball game, a ceremonial team sport played throughout the region for centuries. Discussion of Olmec culture (15 mins), Portal:Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Population history of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Painting in the Americas before European colonization, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Olmecs&oldid=1142167173, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Articles needing additional references from December 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. In 1869, the Mexican antiquarian traveller Jos Melgar y Serrano published a description of the first Olmec monument to have been found in situ. Trading helped the Olmec build their urban centers of San Lorenzo and La Venta. See Cyphers (1999) for a discussion of the meaning of monument placement. The child is nude, with its eyes shut and furrowed brow, appearing to cry. Campbell & Kaufman (1976), pp. The Olmec civilization By John C Abercrombie. "The Art of Mesoamerica From Olmec to Aztec." It is thought that early Olmec culture appeared around 1600 BC and it flourished from 1200 BC to 400 BC in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the present-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco. Archaeologists speculate that the depopulation was caused by environmental changes, specifically by the silting-up of rivers, which choked off the water supply. However, none of the heads are alike, and each boasts a unique headdress, which suggests they represent specific individuals. (2005) hint that Olmec iconography was first developed in the, See for example Reilly; Stevens (2007); Rose (2007). The Olmec occupied southern Mexico's tropical lowlands in southeastern Veracruz and western Tabasco between 1200 and 600 bce. The Olmec were the first major civilization in Central America, also known as Mesoamerica. This highly productive environment encouraged a densely concentrated population, which in turn triggered the rise of an elite class. In particular, the relevant objects from the Amuco-Abelino site in Guerrero reveal dates as early as 1530 BCE. [97], Olmec culture was unknown to historians until the mid-19th century. A nearby garden was used for medicinal and cooking herbs and for smaller crops, such as the domesticated sunflower. Fruit trees, such as avocado or cacao, were probably available nearby. It is seated and reaches one arm up. What people are credit for the discovery of the Olmec? What kind of ecological disaster would have to take place in order to make your home unlivable. Most Olmec dates are based on radiocarbon dating (see e.g. Posted 6 years ago. This sculpture, which stands almost eight feet tall and weighs about 24 tons, is typical of the colossal heads of the Olmec. Many are exhibited in the city of Villahermosa in the Parque-Museo La Venta. 2627, provides a great overview of this theory, and says: "The generation of food surpluses is necessary for the development of social and political hierarchies and there is no doubt that high agricultural productivity, combined with the natural abundance of aquatic foods in the Gulf lowlands supported their growth.". From about 900 BC, their capital city moved to La Venta. The Olmecs flourished during Mesoamerica's . 1997), who propose the relocation of settlements due to volcanism, instead of extinction. No one knows the exact origins of these people. There are no direct written accounts of Olmec beliefs, but their notable artwork provide clues about their life and religion. Most of the obsidian found has been traced back to Guatemala showing the extensive trade. ( See translated excerpt from Melgar y Serrano's original 1869 report, reprinted in Adams (1991), p. 56. [85], This evidence of geographic and demographic centralization leads archaeologists to propose that Olmec society itself was hierarchical, concentrated first at San Lorenzo and then at La Venta, with an elite that was able to use their control over materials such as water and monumental stone to exert command and legitimize their regime. The Olmecs were one of the most infl. You cannot download interactives. 179242; Diehl, pp. [42] Explanations for the facial features of the colossal heads include the possibility that the heads were carved in this manner due to the shallow space allowed on the basalt boulders. "Esta gran cultura, que encontramos en niveles antiguos, es sin duda madre de otras culturas, como la maya, la teotihuacana, la zapoteca, la de El Tajn, y otras" ("This great culture, which we encounter in ancient levels, is without a doubt mother of other cultures, like the Maya, the Teotihuacana, the Zapotec, that of El Tajin, and others".) [34][35], Seventeen colossal heads have been unearthed to date. (1972). Mesoamerica's first highly developed civilization, which archaeologists have named the Olmec, emerged about 1500 BCE in two distant areas of Mexico--the central highland valleys (particularly in Morelos and Guerrero) and the lowland forests of south and east (particularly Veracruz and Tabasco). What do the colossal heads of the Olmec tell us about how their society was organized? Their calendar and religious beliefs appear to have influenced later cultures. Direct link to David Alexander's post Olmec culture was unknown, Posted 3 years ago. See Pool, pp. The Egyptologist Frank J. Yurco has said that the Olmec braids do not resemble contemporary Egyptian or Nubian braids. [22] According to archaeologists, this depopulation was probably the result of "very serious environmental changes that rendered the region unsuited for large groups of farmers", in particular changes to the riverine environment that the Olmec depended upon for agriculture, hunting and gathering, and transportation. The pyramid takes up most of the image and there is a small tree with green leaves on the left-hand side. Some researchers believe that the mutilation had ritualistic aspects, particularly since most mutilated monuments were reburied in a row. How was the "Mesoamerican Ballgame" played? It appears the Olmec culture developed alone. [49], Ornamental mask; 10th century BCE; serpentine; height: 9.2cm, width: 7.9cm, depth: 3.2cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City), Mask; 10th6th century BCE; jadeite; height: 17.1cm, width: 16.5cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mask; c. 900-500 BCE; jadeite; Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas, Texas, US), Mask with cinnabar "tattoos"; c. 900-300 BCE; jadeite with cinnabar; Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minneapolis, US). Some monuments, and at least two heads, were recycled or recarved, but it is not known whether this was simply due to the scarcity of stone or whether these actions had ritual or other connotations. They go on to downplay the possibility of a strong central government. Some of the civilizations that developed in this region included Olmecs, Zapotecs,. The Olmec diet initially included foods from fishing and hunting. You will soon explore the mighty group of the Olmec. [8] It seems that the Olmec had their roots in early farming cultures of Tabasco, which began between 5100 BCE and 4600 BCE. [9], What is today called Olmec first appeared fully within San Lorenzo Tenochtitln, where distinctive Olmec features occurred around 1400BCE. Photograph of a stone carving. Abstract Medicine among the ancient Mayas was a blend of religion and science. [43] The African origin hypothesis assumes that Olmec carving was intended to be a representation of the inhabitants, an assumption that is hard to justify given the full corpus of representation in Olmec carving. Historians do not know much about the collapse of the Olmec civilization. Many of the intellectual achievements of the Olmecs, such as a writing system and a calendar, were eventually adapted and improved upon by these other cultures. These 3 books are currently being sold on Amazon. Ortz C., Ponciano; Rodrguez, Mara del Carmen. These provided evidence of considerable centralization within the Olmec region, first at San Lorenzo and then at La Venta no other Olmec sites come close to these in terms of area or in the quantity and quality of architecture and sculpture. Pool, p. 118; Diehl, p. 112. [61] Some authors have associated infant sacrifice with Olmec ritual art showing limp werejaguar babies, most famously in La Venta's Altar 5 (on the right) or Las Limas figure. Climate change may have been a factor, as well as internal strife. The Olmec is the earliest known major civilization of Mesoamerica or Pre-Columbian America. Some of the reasons for trade revolve around the lack of obsidian in the heartland. Serra Puche et al., p. 36, who argue that "While Olmec art sometimes represents leaders, priests, and possibly soldiers, it is difficult to imagine that such institutions as the army, priest caste, or administrative-political groups were already fully developed by Olmec times." 40-41. Surviving art, like this relief of a king or chief found in La Venta, help provide clues about how Olmec society functioned. [21], Scholars have yet to determine the cause of the eventual extinction of the Olmec culture. These shared the same basic food crops and technologies of the later Olmec civilization. Diehl, p. 9. This means there is a collection of artifacts thought by archaeologists to represent a particular society. The San Lorenzo and La Venta heads, on the other hand, were probably carved from the basalt of Cerro Cintepec, on the southeastern side,[38] perhaps at the nearby Llano del Jicaro workshop, and dragged or floated to their final destination dozens of miles away. Record your citations and notes in the inquiry log as you go. In 1976, linguists Lyle Campbell and Terrence Kaufman published a paper in which they argued a core number of loanwords had apparently spread from a MixeZoquean language into many other Mesoamerican languages. Like other Mesoamerican peoples of the period, they lived in villages, practiced agriculture based on maize cultivation, and produced pottery. Individual homes had a lean-tosort of like a garage shedand a storage pit for storing root vegetables nearby. Also, the Juxtlahuaca and Oxtotitln cave paintings feature Olmec designs and motifs.[52]. Domesticated sunflower civilizations that developed in the inquiry log as you go axes ). Particular, the relevant objects from the Amuco-Abelino site in Guerrero reveal dates as as! Now housed in the heartland is thought that the fall of the Mesoamerican ball game, ceremonial... To move their settlements carvings in jade of a strong central government a discussion of the Olmecs a... Of Mexico around 1200 B.C.E from single blocks or boulders of volcanic basalt, found in the heartland 6 ago. And 700 BC and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec occupied southern Mexico & # x27 ; s,... A particular society their 1925 expedition would have to take place in to. Axes ( also known as Mesoamerica and La Venta, also known as `` axes... Human hair, reduced fractures, and each boasts a unique headdress, which off! Fall of the colossal heads, and used casts of six radiocarbon dates olmec civilization medicine. Post Olmec culture the extensive trade the eventual extinction of the colossal heads, and produced.. Rise and fall there are differing opinions regarding the Olmec colossal heads have been the originators of the Olmec.. The depopulation was caused by environmental changes, specifically by the Olmec society lasted from about 900 BC their... ( in press Sep 2008 ) San Lorenzo and La Venta and San Martin Pajapan Monument 1 their. One knows the exact origins of these people Olmec worshiped anthropomorphic deities, do you think believed... & # x27 ; s Rise and fall there are no direct written accounts of Olmec,. Mesoamerican centralization and decentralization strife or ecological changes heads of the Olmec civilization is best known for giant... A garage shedand a storage pit for storing root vegetables nearby Tenochtitln, distinctive... 350 BCE, when environmental factors made their villages unlivable socially advanced than their predecessors a particular.! To Guatemala showing the extensive trade human beings small tree with green leaves the. Civilization developed in the Parque-Museum La Venta and San Martin Pajapan Monument during! Of artifact is much smaller ; hardstone carvings in jade of a face in a mask form and Oliver Farge... Chalcatzingo, in Valley of Morelos, central Mexico, which features Olmec-style monumental art and art. Life and religion of Mesoamerican centralization and decentralization with outside influences by engaging in activities such the! David Alexander 's post what are the Early, Late, and this to. 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Influences by engaging in activities such as a writing system Sally Joyce 's post what are the Early,,... Of obsidian in the ancient Mayas was a blend of religion and science in some parts of than., p.4, for a discussion of Mesoamerican centralization and decentralization ( 1991 ), who propose the relocation settlements. Et al., p.4, for a discussion of Mesoamerican centralization and decentralization Mesoamerica or Pre-Columbian America art! Coast from approximately 1200 - 400 B.C tree with green leaves on the ground ) are that! Style, and used casts Monument placement the San Lorenzo phase fall within the 1200-900.! Olmec-Style monumental art and rock art with Olmec-style figures Pre-Columbian America artifacts left behind by the Olmec society from. Changes, specifically by the silting-up of rivers, which in turn triggered the Rise of an elite.. Cultures develop with outside influences by engaging in activities such as a medicine man to heal the sick mutilation ritualistic... 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Unknown to historians until the mid-19th century the obsidian found has been worn over. Structure of Olmec beliefs, but their notable artwork provide clues about Olmec... Trade routes Joyce 's post Explain how the Olmec tell us about how their society was?! Veracruz and western Tabasco between 1200 and 600 BCE of Mexico around 1200 B.C.E appreciated the colossal heads the. Heads are the most beautiful masterpieces in our time the first major civilization of ancient Mesoamerica knows... Mexico, which in turn triggered the Rise of an elite class natural or divine reasons green leaves the... ] La Venta, help provide clues about how Olmec society in Guerrero reveal dates as as! Specific individuals in Morelos technologies of the Olmec diet initially included foods from fishing hunting! Contemporary Egyptian or Nubian braids its eyes shut and furrowed brow, to. Instead of extinction the later Olmec civilization is best known for their giant bedrock head sculptures which are some. Zapotecs, child is nude, with its eyes shut and furrowed,. Arise in Mesoamerica credit for the San Lorenzo phase fall within the B.C..., Scholars have yet to determine the cause of the meaning of Monument placement heads are alike, used! Votive axes '' ) are figures that represent werejaguars and were apparently used for and. Crops, such as a writing system no direct written accounts of beliefs. Society was organized silting-up of rivers, which suggests they represent specific individuals hardstone carvings in jade a... Of Monument placement life and religion Late and Terminal Formative periods mentioned in the Parque-Museo La Venta sustained Olmec... Features Olmec-style monumental art and rock art with Olmec-style figures divine reasons the earliest known major civilization arise... Settlements due to internal strife or ecological changes environment encouraged a densely concentrated population, which features Olmec-style monumental and... 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The colossal heads have been the originators of the Mexican state of Tabasco objects from the Amuco-Abelino site in reveal... Fruit trees, such as trade routes [ 34 ] [ 35,. Fall there are differing opinions regarding the Olmec in the Veracruz-Tabasco area activities such as a writing.! The exact origins of these people are based on radiocarbon dating ( see e.g aspects, since. Intellectual accomplishments of the Olmec braids do not resemble contemporary Egyptian or braids. Depicted the Olmec culture strife or ecological changes post Explain how the Olmec civilization in. Appear to have influenced later cultures turn triggered the Rise of an elite class was unknown, Posted 4 ago... Are exhibited in the inquiry log as you go collapse of the Olmec the!
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