By Brittany September 19th, 2009 The Olmec Tribe By Brittany September 19th, 2009 The Olmec Tribe By Brittany Tebo

Where and when did they live? Do they exist today? Lived around Central America 1200 to 300 B.C. The Olmec Tribe lived around Central America, which is Mexico now. They lived from 1200 to about 300 B.C. and died off after that.

Types of housing. Housing. The Olmec were the first to build stone pyramids out of stone. They lived in Temples made of mud and stone and some lived in elite residences and the houses of commoners. If the Olmec tribe moved around they didn’t move very far.

How did they survive and what did they eat? Food The Olmec ate Maize, beans, squash, sweet potatoes, cocoa beans,fruits, vegetables, fish, turtle, snake, mollusk, crabs, and shellfish. If they didn’t find turtles for protein, they would eat dogs.

Social/governing organization and the family member roles Rulers Roles The Olmec inhabited areas ranging from rural lands to small towns to large cities. The largest contained thousands of people, Olmec society was divided into classes by the wealth and social status. The ruling class lived in the large cities and towns while the lower class resided in less populated areas. The Olmec rulers were also priests and possessed both religious and political power. The lower class farmed and hunted for a living, while the upper class mainly traded art and luxury items. The women’s role was that they carved pots and jade jewelry. The men’s role was that they fish, hunt, and farm. The children’s role was that some were sacrificed.

Contributions Crops Giant heads The first tribe to grow cocoa beans as a crop, not as a wild plant. Carved huge rocks of Gods and rulers and was about 9 feet tall and weighed more than 40 tons. The Olmec were the first to build stone pyramids out of stone.