The Olmecs: Mesoamerica SCLARGE with Bethany, Stephanie, Sarah, Sharon, and Shannon

Social Olmec societies were led by chiefs. There were also elites within the society who had control over major resources and used this to manipulate the commoners. Many were priests, craftsmen, and merchants. Commoners within Olmec society were often simple farmers or laborers.

Customs and Traditions Olmec culture is extremely similar to the Mayans, which makes sense due to their proximity to each other in Mesoamerica and near the Gulf of Mexico. Olmec societies were generally near swamps. They followed the same calendar as other Mesoamerican societies. The Olmecs had no domesticated animals. They did harvest a few domesticated plants, such as corn (as is common in Mesoamerica). They were the first complex society in Mesoamerica. The Olmecs may have come from Africa, since the large heads they built share features with Africans.

Language, Communication, and Technology Olmecs wrote in a form of heiroglyphs, which means that they had at least some form of communication. They also used ideograms, which were symbols that represented the idea of something. They functioned on the same calendar as the Mayans (365 days). The Olmecs used stone tools.

Arts and Architecture The Olmecs built large heads from boulders (located at San Lorenzo) carved from basalt. These heads may have represented important men, since each head is wearing a distinct headdress. Many animals are represented in art and Olmec mythology, which suggests that Olmecs shared a religious basis. Olmecs built platforms elevated off of the ground. Many settlements were also elevated, as were their shrines. Labor brigades were also constructed and were called chinampas. The Olmecs frequently built temples and shrines for religious purposes, and they were often pyramid-shaped.

Religion The Olmecs worshipped many animal spirits and shamans as gods (polytheistic), which subsequently led to shamanism. The Olmecs also believed that in each person there was both a human spirit and an animal spirit. The main animal worshipped in Olmec religion was the Jaguar. Another component of their religion was the belief in the werejaguar. A combination of the last two points led to the belief that when a jaguar died, a human would die with it due to their spirits being linked.

Government and Politics Chiefs held most of the political power, especially in large cities/groups such as San Lorenzo and La Venta. The authority was centralized, so only a few people had the power to make major decisions, such as the priests and chiefs.

Economic Olmec craftsmen made a variety of objects, such as mirrors, ceramics, pottery, and ritual objects. Another job was slash/burn farming, which provided food for large groups of people. Many Olmecs were simple laborers who completed construction jobs. It is believed that the Olmecs traded with other Mesoamerican societies nearby.