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Olmec Civilization

Type Event Region Mesoamerica Time -1200–-400

The Olmec civilization, active along the Gulf of Mexico coast roughly from 400 to 100 BCE, was a major early Mesoamerican civilization known for colo…

Timeline

  1. -400–-300La Venta · TabascoThe main Olmec ceremonial centers entered a late phase; places like La Venta still maintained large-scale sacrificial activities, while colossal stone heads and jade production peaked and then gradually declined.
  2. -300–-200Gulf of Mexico coast · MexicoOlmec artistic forms, jaguar imagery, and ceremonial symbols spread inland through trade networks, influencing the art and religious expression of later civilizations such as the Maya and Zapotec.
  3. -200–-100Gulf of Mexico coast · MexicoThe main Olmec centers gradually declined; some ceremonial traditions and iconographic symbols were inherited by later Mesoamerican civilizations, and their legacy in urban planning, calendrical concepts, and artistic style continued to influence regional development.

Sources