The Olmecs

The Olmec were the first major civilization in mexico. They lived in the lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the modern-day states of veracruz and tabasco
The Olmec flourished during 's period,dating roughly from as early as 1500 to about 400 BCE. Pre-Olmec cultures had flourished in the area since about 2500 BCE, but by 1600-1500 BCE Early Olmec culture had emerged centered around the sitenear the coast in southeast Veracruz.[1] They were the first Mesoamerican civilization and laid many of the foundations for the civilizations that followed.[2] Among other "firsts", the Olmec appearedto practice and played the hallmarks of nearly all subsequent Mesoamerican societies.
The most familiar aspect of the Olmecs is their artwork, particularly the aptly named " The Olmec civilizationwas first defined through artifacts which collectors purchased on the pre-Columbian art market in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Olmec artworks are considered among ancient America's moststriking
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Etymology
The name "Olmec" comes from the nahuatle word for the Olmecs: Ōlmēcatl (singular) or Ōlmēcah (plural). This word is composed of the two words ōlli, meaning "rubber",and mecatl, meaning "rope", so the word means "rubber line or lineage
Overview

The olmec hamar where the Olmec reigned from 1400 - 400 BCE. is an archaeological term used to describe an area inthe lowlands that is generally considered the birthplace of the Olmec culture. This area is characterized by swampy lowlands punctuated by low hills, ridges, and volcanoes. The rise sharply in thenorth, along the Gulf of Mexico's Here the Olmec constructed permanent city-temple complexes at, and In this region, the first Mesoamerican civilization emerged and reigned from c. 1400–400 BCE.[
OriginsMain article:
The beginnings of Olmec civilization have traditionally been placed between 1400 and 1200 BCE. Recent finds of Olmec remains ritually deposited at El Manati shrine (near San...