Origins
As you push your way through the thick Central American jungle, countless beads of sweat run across your forehead. It is hot. Stupid hot. The heat and humidity this time of year are no joke. Of course, the weather isn’t the only cause for concern. Jungle cats, venomous snakes, and the occasional hostile tribe all pose a threat, but the cargo you are carrying from Guatemala is well worth the risk. Jade is one of the most valuable stones in the region, and to your people it represents great wealth and purity. There are even rumors that the stones themselves house the gods. Spiritual beliefs aside, you are no stranger to this treacherous journey. As a merchant you know that danger comes with the terrain, and as a matter of fact you have begun recognizing this terrain as of late. A small village, several fields of corn, and a large head shaped boulder in the distance tell you all you need to know.
Civilization is near.
What do we know about the Olmecs?
To be honest, there isn’t a single first-hand account of the Olmecs, hell we don’t even know what they called themselves (the Aztecs referred to them as the ‘rubber people’ because the area they lived in was known for their rubber production). They are what scientists call an archeological culture, which is a civilization we only really know about through archeology. No written texts have survived (if they even existed), so all we have to go on are the remnants of their cities, and let me tell you, it’s truly amazing what you can learn by digging up a bunch of ancient rocks. For instance, archeology has shown us that the Olmec heartland was located along the Gulf of Mexico in the current Mexican states of Tabasco and Oaxaca. Here, the Olmec reigned as the most prominent civilization in all of Mesoamerica from about 1500 BCE to 400 BCE. They built cities that became home to thousands and founded trade routes that would be used until the Europeans arrived. Though their fall has been shrouded in mystery, their influence on the whole of Central America was immense, and aspects of their culture can be found in all civilizations that would follow.
Cities
Most Olmec cities were located on rivers relatively close to the Gulf of Mexico. While being located on a river is not exactly a unique trait for early civilizations, it is interesting to see their surrounding terrain. The Olmec heartland is situated in the middle of the Central American jungle, not exactly the ideal place for a large civilization to sprout up, yet in spite of this, the Olmec thrived. They hunted game, grew a ridiculous amount of corn (which had its own god), and developed new fishing techniques, all fueling the growth of their cities. The Olmecs were also the first civilization to domesticate and drink chocolate, so I’d say we all owe them a big thank you.
Speaking of cities, the Olmec culture shouldn’t be thought of as a nation ruled by one individual person. The Olmec lived in city-states (similar to ancient Greece) ruled by powerful shaman families who could ‘connect’ the people to the gods. San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Tres Zapotes were the three most prominent cities of the Olmec world and likely plotted against one another over land and political influence. Though their exact political inner workings have been lost to history, we know that each of these cities had a profound influence on the Olmec and Mesoamerica as a whole. They were also home to several of the Olmec Colossal Heads which are so interesting that they deserve their own article.
Fall and Influence on Later Civilizations
The collapse of the Olmec civilization is really an interesting subject, though the exact reason has yet to be discovered. From what archeologists have found, it appears that the fall of one city usually coincided with the rise of another. San Lorenzo, the first of the Olmec cities, was prominent from 1500 BCE to 900 BCE. It then endured almost complete destruction as the cities of La Venta and Tres Zappotes rose to prominence. The same pattern was repeated with La Venta around 400 BCE with Tres Zappotes, which would survive and transform in the post-Olmec culture in Mesoamerica until around 900 CE.
With the Olmec being the first major civilization to develop in Mesoamerica, it’s easy to assume that they would have a large impact on the cultures that would follow. Aspects of their religion can be found in both the Maya and Aztec pantheons, with many of their gods holding a similar stature and backstory. Even some of the best-known practices of the Maya (astronomy) and Aztecs (human sacrifice) have roots in the Olmec culture. Much like the Romans of Europe, the Olmec’s cultural reach was immense and would long outlive the ‘rubber people’ of the Gulf.