The olmecs and chavin by jackie ramirez

The olmecs

Were an awesome civilization in 1200 - 400 BCE

exploiting the fertile and well-watered coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico to grow such crops as corn and beans

gathered the plentiful local supply of plant food, palm nuts and sea-life, including turtles and clams.

By c. 1200 BCE significant urban centres developed at San Lorenzo (the earliest), La Venta, Laguna de los Cerros, Tres Zapotes and Las Limas.In La Venta the first mesoamerican pyramid was constructed. It was very well planed, for example, at La Venta the buildings are placed symmetrically along a north-south axis with four giant heads facing outwards,as though they were gardians. With a huge ceremonial step pyramid, a plaza once lined with 2 metre high basalt columns, and two smaller pyramids La Venta

inspired many other Mesoamerican cultures.

Typical Olmec trade goods included obsidian, jade, serpentine, mica, rubber,pottery, feathers and polished mirrors of ilmenite and magnetite

Olmec gods stood for things such as the rain, the earth, and maize.not much is known about them, not even their names.this is why identifiable gods in olmec art are refered to with numbers instead of names.The Olmecs gave special significance to the animals present in their environment, they thought divine beings and powerful rulers could transform themselves at will into fearsome creatures. The Olmecs would create many supreme deites such as the were-jaguar. they worshipped a sky-dragon believed four dwarves held up the sky, possibly representing the four cardinal directions which, along with other Olmec gods, became so important in later Mesoamerican religions.

Olmecs are known for their huge stone heads which may be considered portraits of actual rulers. The heads can be 8 tons in weight and 3 m high. The ruler often wears a protective helmet and sometimes show the subject with jaguar paws hanging over the forehead, posssibly showing the pelt worn was a symbol of political and religious power.

Olmecs also left a permenent record found in rock carvings and paintings. Often made around cave entrances they most typically depict seated rulers.

Jade and ceramic were other popular materials for sculpture. A very important jade carving is the Kunz Axe, it shows a were-jaguar creature. Animals were a popular subject. the Olmecs often buried their sculptures, even larger pieces, perhaps in a ritual act of memory

Los chavin!

900 – 250 BCE People on the coast would trade a lot of

things like fish, cute shells for corn, and shellfish

They were really cool with their extensive irrigation and what not. Plus they used llamas for their wool and to help transport goods.

They had a lot of temples in pyramid to honor there gods and rulers

They shared many religious belifes with the olmecs

Priest would control religious life

their social status’ depended on the amounts of gold crowns, breastplates, quality textiles, and jewelry they had

we don’t understand their writing at the moment

creditsssss

http://www.ancient.eu.com/Olmec_Civilization/