The Olmec Civilization is the oldest major Mesoamerican civilization. It lasted from about 1500 BC to 400 BC, and it was centered in southern Mexico, along the Gulf of Mexico.
Like most of the world's first cultures, in was centered around a water source, namely the Coatzacoalcos Basin, which is fed by the gulf. It all started out as an early farming culture that goes back to about 5,000 BC, then the Basin helped them grow. It soon evolved into a hierarchical society of elites and a working class, with the elites demanding luxury items of jade, obsidian, and magnetite (that magical magnetic rock). These materials came from far away, and suggests that the Olmecs had an extensive trade network throughout Mesoamerica.
Interestingly, around 950 BC, the biggest Olmec city, San Lorenzo, was left in ruins, and evidence shows that by 900 BC a new popular city had emerged, La Venta. San Lorenzo was completely abandoned for the new, popular kid in the country. It is not known why this happened. Theories include an internal uprising, an invasion, or even the rivers changing course, and La Venta was a better place to live.
Another mystery lies in why the Olmec Civilization ultimately fell. Around 400 BC, the population of La Venta dramatically decreased, and it was eventually abandoned. The city was later reinhabited by another culture. Theories as to why it was abandoned include tectonic shifting, volcanic activity, or even their agricultural practices causing their rivers to accumulate clay and get extremely polluted. It would happen if their farming caused serious erosion and all the sediment (fancy term for gunk in the river) just spilled in, which would have been very bad.
Like most of the world's first cultures, in was centered around a water source, namely the Coatzacoalcos Basin, which is fed by the gulf. It all started out as an early farming culture that goes back to about 5,000 BC, then the Basin helped them grow. It soon evolved into a hierarchical society of elites and a working class, with the elites demanding luxury items of jade, obsidian, and magnetite (that magical magnetic rock). These materials came from far away, and suggests that the Olmecs had an extensive trade network throughout Mesoamerica.
Interestingly, around 950 BC, the biggest Olmec city, San Lorenzo, was left in ruins, and evidence shows that by 900 BC a new popular city had emerged, La Venta. San Lorenzo was completely abandoned for the new, popular kid in the country. It is not known why this happened. Theories include an internal uprising, an invasion, or even the rivers changing course, and La Venta was a better place to live.
Another mystery lies in why the Olmec Civilization ultimately fell. Around 400 BC, the population of La Venta dramatically decreased, and it was eventually abandoned. The city was later reinhabited by another culture. Theories as to why it was abandoned include tectonic shifting, volcanic activity, or even their agricultural practices causing their rivers to accumulate clay and get extremely polluted. It would happen if their farming caused serious erosion and all the sediment (fancy term for gunk in the river) just spilled in, which would have been very bad.