Olmecas

The Olmec were an ancient Mesoamerican civilization centered on the Gulf Coast of Mexico, in what are now the Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. The term Olmec is derived from Nahuatl and used by later peoples; they are generally considered the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization, flourishing during the Formative period, roughly 1500–400 BCE, though some sites show earlier activity.

Key sites and material culture define the Olmec heartland. San Lorenzo and La Venta were prominent early centers in the Gulf lowlands, followed by Tres Zapotes in the same region. They built ceremonial centers with large earthen platforms, pyramids, and plazas. They produced colossal basalt heads up to several meters tall, carved from local or distant sources, and created altars, thrones, and jadeite figurines. Long-distance exchange linked the Gulf Coast with central Mexico and the Maya region, with materials such as basalt, obsidian, jade, and serpentine transported over long distances.

Society and religion were central to Olmec life. The civilization featured ritual and ceremonialism associated with jaguar imagery and other symbolic motifs, and it is believed to have had a theocratic or hierarchical political structure. Olmec art and iconography, including the were-jaguar figure, influenced later Mesoamerican cultures across the region, including stylistic elements that appeared in Maya and other traditions.

Language and writing: no known Olmec script has been deciphered, and much of their symbolic system remains interpretive. The Olmec are widely viewed as an influential early culture that helped shape later Mesoamerican civilizations, though direct political continuity is a matter of debate.

Decline and legacy: by about 400 BCE, some Gulf centers were abandoned or transformed, and new centers emerged in the region. Olmec motifs and artistic conventions persisted in subsequent Mesoamerican cultures, underscoring their enduring impact on the cultural landscape.