Pg.400-403
THE OLMEC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A4IKTt1EXY
The Olmec of Mexico
• Found in 1862
• Weigh 18-24 tons
• 6-10 ft tall
Closest boulders were
50mi away in the Tuxtla
Mountains
How’d they do it?
Rolled on logs, floated on rivers
Farmers in a swampy land
• Floods deposited rich soil
• Squash, gourds, beans, avocados, peppers, maize
• Crop rotation
• Invented a calendar to track planting/harvesting times
Olmec Calendar
Olmec Social Classes
• Land is about the size of New Jersey
• Two social classes
• Elite- upper
• Commoners- lower
• How do they know???
How do they know?
Giant heads= upper class
Compare burial sites
• Common grave= lower class
• Special tombs= upper class
Power and Religion
• La Venta
• Priest-kings
• Jaguar-man god
• Human sacrifices
Trade and Competition
• Olmec art/craft found all over
Central America
• Jade