Who were the Olmecs?
The Olmec people are believed to have occupied a large part of modern-day Southern Mexico. person who studies artifacts and lifestyles of ancient cultures. material remains of a culture, such as tools, clothing, or food.
What led to the decline of the Olmec civilization?
Because this civilization declined two thousand years before the arrival of the first Europeans into the region, no one is absolutely certain which factors led to its downfall. The Olmec civilization was named after the Aztec word for their descendants, who inhabited Olman, or the „land of rubber.“
What happened to the Olmecs after La Venta fell?
With the fall of La Venta came the end of classic Olmec culture. Although the descendants of the Olmecs still lived in the region, the culture itself vanished. The extensive trade networks the Olmecs had used fell apart.
What is the Epi-Olmec culture?
When the Olmec culture went into decline, it didn’t disappear entirely. Rather, it evolved into what historians refer to as Epi-Olmec culture. The Epi-Olmec culture is a link of sorts between the classic Olmec and the Veracruz Culture, which would begin to thrive to the north of the Olmec lands about 500 years later.
What are the characteristics of Olmec art?
Olmec artists are known for both monumental and miniature portrayals of what are assumed to be persons of authority-from six-ton heads sculptures to figurines. The Olmecs ( / ˈɒlmɛks, ˈoʊl -/) were the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization.
What caused the extinction of the Olmecs?
Scholars have yet to determine the cause of the eventual extinction of the Olmec culture. Between 400 and 350 BCE, the population in the eastern half of the Olmec heartland dropped precipitously, and the area was sparsely inhabited until the 19th century.
What caused the rise of the Olmec elite class?
This highly productive environment encouraged a densely concentrated population, which in turn triggered the rise of an elite class. The elite class created the demand for the production of the symbolic and sophisticated luxury artifacts that define Olmec culture.