The Olmec civilization was the first known Mesoamerican civilization, located in southern Mexico between 1200 BC to 400 BC. They built large religious structures and stone monuments, created colossal stone heads to represent rulers, and had a religion that centered around a jaguar rain god. While the exact cause of their decline is unknown, the Olmec influenced later Mesoamerican cultures like the Maya and Aztec and were pioneers in government, arts, and science in Mesoamerica.

1. Olmec Civilization
Overview:
Who were the Olmecs?
What did they do?
How are they important today?
How can we link them to the Aztecs?
http://www.aztec-history.com/olmec-civilization.html

2. Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
- First known Mesoamerican Civilization
- They were referred to as the"mother culture"
because they started off the new era of civilizations
- They started in Southern Mexico (Veracruz and
Tobasco) around the year 1200 BC.
- There are no real written documents that date back to
the Olmecs.
- People thought that Olmec artifacts were actually Mayans,
and that the Olmecs were originally from Africa.

3. Gulf Coast Geography
Disadvantages:
-region was hot and humid with thick vegetation.
-rainfall swelled rivers and caused flooding.
Advantages:
-deposits of salt, tar, and fine clay was used in making
pottery.
-the hills to the north provided stone to make tools and
mouments
-the flood plains of rivers provided fertile land for farming.
-the rivers provided good transport to spread trade.

4. The most
recognizable Olmec
sculptures are the
giant stone heads.
They can represent
either warriors, ball
players, or individual
rulers.

5. Olmec Life and Creations
- Built big religious
- Created large stone monuments that represented
particular Olmec rulers.
- Based on discovered artifacts, experts believe the Olmec
prayed to a variety of nature gods, one of them being the
jaguar spirit, which was the central to Olmec religion.
- The Olmec directed a large trading network. This network
helped boost the Olmec economy and spread Olmec
influence to other parts of Mesoamerica.
- Ball games played the majority of their culture

6. Jaguar worship
was shown in
sculptures and Olmec
art, which depict a
half-human, half-
jaguar creature. The
jaguar represented a
powerful rain god,
whom the Olmecs
worshipped to bring
rain.

7. Stone pyramids were
another part of
Olmec architecture.
These pyramids
were served as
tombs for great
Olmec rulers and
sometimes for
places of ritual.

8. Decline of the Olmec
-There is no real truth to the collapse of the Olmec
civilization, although there are some speculations:
- outside invaders may have caused the destruction.
- the Olmecs themselves may have destroyed their own
monuments upon the death of their rulers.
- Olmec artifacts continue to offer clues about this first
known Mesoamerican civilization.