Olmec Civilization

Timeline

1. c. -1400–-1000San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán · VeracruzThe Olmec built large ceremonial-administrative centers such as San Lorenzo on the Gulf Coast, developing intensive agriculture, social stratification, and interregional trade networks, forming Mesoamerica's earliest urban prototype.
2. c. -1000–-600La Venta · TabascoLa Venta became the Olmec political and religious core, featuring colossal stone heads, jaguar deity worship, and early writing symbols; its artistic style influenced the entire Mesoamerican region.
3. c. -600–-400Gulf Coast and the Oaxaca region · MexicoThe Olmec's main centers gradually declined, but their religious symbols, cosmology, and artistic traditions were absorbed by successor civilizations such as the Maya and Zapotec, becoming a key link in Mesoamerican civilizational continuity.