Rise of the Olmec Civilization

Timeline

1. c. -1200–-1000San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán · VeracruzThe Olmec built the first large earthen platforms and ceremonial complexes along the Gulf of Mexico coast; San Lorenzo became an early political and religious center, with social stratification and long-distance trade networks taking initial shape.
2. c. -900–-600La Venta · TabascoLa Venta replaced San Lorenzo as the most important Olmec ceremonial center; colossal stone heads, jade burial goods, and complex sacrificial rituals reached their peak, and Olmec cultural symbols spread outward.
3. c. -600–-400Gulf of Mexico coast · Gulf of Mexico coastThe main Olmec ceremonial centers were successively abandoned, possibly due to environmental change, river course shifts, and social reorganization, but their art style, cosmology, and political organization profoundly influenced later Mesoamerican civilizations.