The Olmec were an ancient Pre-Columbian people living in the lowlands of south-central Mexico, roughly in what are the modern states of Veracruz and Tabasco. Their cultural influence extends far beyond this region. The Olmec flourished from 1200 BCE to about 400 BCE.
As the first civilization in Mesoamerica, the Olmecs are thought to have begun ballgame, bloodletting and perhaps human sacrifice, writing, the invention of zero and the Mesoamerican calendar.
Like later peoples, they lived in city-states Some researchers, including art historian Miguel Covarrubias, think Olmecs started believing many of later Mesoamerican gods
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Baby Figure Mexico Olmec 12tho-9th century BCE Ceramic, originally uploaded by mharrsch.
