The Olmec
The Olmec Civilization
The Olmec civilization was discovered in
the tropical forests and swamps of the Mexican states, Veracruz and Tabasco.
People think it became a civilization because of the fertile land. The
materials they mostly found was basalt. Basalt is a fire-grained, dark
volcanic rock that came form the Tuxtla Mountain. It was used for monuments,
drains and grinding tools. The climate was humid. It had seasonal rainfall.
The olmec civilization was Mesoamerica's
first civilization. They lived in some parts of Mexico such as La Venta,
San Lorenza and tres Zapotes. The culture of the olmec started at 1200
and 1400 bc. On pyramids they had made statues. As the Olmec culture grew,
some of the Olmec towns became strong and powerful. The Olmec grew and
ate maize. Maize is another name for corn. They also ate shellfish, fish,
turtles, beans, deer and dogs. The Olmec used glyphs to record dates, events
and to tell stories. Olmec were busy people, but they always had time to
play a good ball game.
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