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Civilization

Olmec. Civilization. Political. One main chieftain who had alliances with lesser chiefs Chief in charge of military and construction of monuments Priests dominated the government Two main city states – La Venta and San Lorenzo

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Civilization

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  1. Olmec Civilization

  2. Political • One main chieftain who had alliances with lesser chiefs • Chief in charge of military and construction of monuments • Priests dominated the government • Two main city states – La Venta and San Lorenzo • Very little military force (both city states destroyed by outsiders)

  3. Economic • Lots of trade (both within Olmec civilization and with other societies) • Basalt, obsidian, iron ore, and jade - imported • Extensive communication • Domesticated animals = turkey and dog • Lots of specialists • Villages = sparsely populated ceremonial trading centers • Olmec = rubber people • Very wealthy • Food • Maize, beans, squash • Fishing and hunting

  4. Religious • Built big dirt temple mounds and stone pyramids • Polytheistic • Human/animal figures as gods • Carved religious statues and had ceremonial objects • Had ceremonies to honor their gods • Birth was celebrated (optimistic view of life) • Were-Jaguar – main god: combination of jaguar (earth) and snake (water)…god of rain and fertility, avatar of life and death • World Tree/Tree of Life

  5. Main Chief Social Lesser Chiefs • Had ball games • Olmec priests and traders lived among populations of other nearby societies Nobles/Priests Merchants Artisans Farmers

  6. Intellectual/Artistic • Engineering (San Lorenzo built on an artificial platform) • Astronomy (aligned cities with stars) • Hieroglyphics • Calendar – Bars and dots • Long Count Calendar • Mathematics

  7. Near (Geography) • Mexico and Central America • Centered around Gulf Coast of Mexico • Fertile and flooded plains

  8. Sources • "Olmec Civilization." Olmec Civilization. Crystallinks.com. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://www.crystalinks.com/olmec.html>. • Mandelkow, Brian. "San Lorenzo." MNSU.edu. Minnesota State University. 29 Aug. 2008 <http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/sites/meso_america/sanlorenzo.html>. • Textbooks

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