Gulf Coast, Mesoamerica · Bronze Age
Olmec Civilization
Mesoamerica's foundational culture
1,500 BCE – 400 BCE · 1,100 years
Considered the 'mother culture' of Mesoamerica, originating traits later inherited by the Maya and Aztec.
Where it sits on the calendar
Government
City-state
Writing system
Olmec hieroglyphs (proto-writing, disputed)
Estimated peak population
350,000
How it ended
Unknown or disputed
Traits
Monumental architecture Irrigation agriculture Long-distance trade Astronomical record-keeping Urban planning Bronze metallurgy Iron metallurgy Standing army Codified law Seafaring
How Olmec Civilization ended
Major centers were abandoned for reasons still debated, possibly environmental degradation.
See other civilizations that fell the same way →Notable for
- Colossal stone head sculptures
- Likely originators of the Mesoamerican ballgame
- Early Mesoamerican calendar concepts
Who else was alive at the same time
8 other civilizations in this dataset overlap with Olmec Civilization's 1,100-year span.
See every overlap involving Olmec Civilization →