Typical Olmec trade goods included
obsidian, jade, serpentine, mica, rubber, pottery, feathers and polished mirrors of ilmenite and magnetite
.
How did trade help the Olmec?
Trading helped the
Olmec build their urban centers of San Lorenzo and La Venta
. These cities, however, were used predominantly for ceremonial purposes and elite activity; most people lived in small villages. Individual homes had a lean-to—sort of like a garage shed—and a storage pit for storing root vegetables nearby.
Who did the Olmec civilization trade with?
Olmec ornaments were popular in
Mokaya towns
. By trading with their Mokaya partners, the Olmec had access to cacao, salt, feathers, crocodile skins, jaguar pelts and desirable stones from Guatemala such as jadeite and serpentine.
Did the Olmecs have money?
While the Olmecs were the likely the first civilization to consumer cacao, the use of cocoa beans as commodity
money
began with the Maya (“The True History of Chocolate”). Cacao, originating from the Maya word “Ka’kau”, held great religious, commercial, and even medicinal value for the Maya.
What goods were most often traded between the Olmecs and other Mesoamerican cities?
- Maize.
- Beans.
- Squash.
- Manioc.
- Sweet potatoes.
- Cotton.
Are the Olmecs from Africa?
Andrzej Wiercinski claims that some of the
Olmecs were of African origin
. He supports this claim with cranial evidence from two Mesoamerican sites: Tlatilco and Cerro de las Mesas. Tlatilco is a site in the Valley of Mexico. Although outside the Olmec heartland, Olmec influences appear in the architectural record.
Who came first Olmec or Maya?
Scientists are typically split between two theories on the subject:
Either the Maya developed directly from
an older “mother culture” known as the Olmec, or they sprang into existence independently.
What gods did the Olmec worship?
- 2.1 Olmec Dragon (God I)
- 2.2 Maize deity (God II)
- 2.3 Rain Spirit and Were-jaguar (God III)
- 2.4 Banded-eye God (God IV)
- 2.5 Feathered Serpent (God V)
- 2.6 Fish or Shark Monster (God VI)
What were the Olmecs known for?
The Olmec created massive monuments, including
colossal stone heads, thrones, stela (upright slabs), and statues
. They may have been the originators of the Mesoamerican ball game, a ceremonial team sport played throughout the region for centuries.
Did the Olmec build pyramids?
Civilizations like the Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Inca all
built pyramids
to house their deities, as well as to bury their kings. In many of their great city-states, temple-pyramids formed the center of public life and were the site of holy rituals, including human sacrifice.
How did Olmecs get food?
The Olmecs practiced basic agriculture using
the “slash-and-burn” technique
, in which overgrown plots of land are burned: this clears them for planting and the ashes act as fertilizer. They planted many of the same crops seen in the region today, such as squash, beans, manioc, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.
What was the original name of the Aztecs?
Early Aztec History
The Aztecs were also known as
the Tenochca
(from which the name for their capital city, Tenochtitlan, was derived) or the Mexica (the origin of the name of the city that would replace Tenochtitlan, as well as the name for the entire country).
What did the Olmecs call themselves?
The Olmecs were a culture of ancient peoples -1300-400 B.C. – of the East Mexico lowlands. They are often regarded as the Mother Culture of later Middle American civilizations. The Olmec people called themselves
Xi (pronounced Shi)
.
What language did the Olmecs speak?
The Olmecs spoke an aspect of
the Manding (Malinke-Bambara) language
spoken in West Africa. Both the Olmec and epi-Olmec had hieroglyphic writing systems. Olmec is a syllabic writing system used in the Olmec heartland from 900 BC- AD 450.
Where were the Olmec heads found?
All of the authentic Olmec heads can be found in
Mexico
. San Lorenzo Head (10) is located at San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán Community Museum while San Lorenzo Heads (2) and (6) are at Mexico City’s National Anthropology Museum.
What ethnicity were the Olmecs?
While historians have speculated that the facial features of some monumental carved heads indicate an African origin of these people, most scholars believe that the Olmec, like other native Americans,
descended from Asian ancestors
who entered North America during the Great Ice Age.
