1.An early Mesoamerican Indian civilization centered in the Veracruz region of southeast Mexico that flourished between 1300 and 400bc, whose cultural influence was widespread throughout southern Mexico and Central America. 2.A member of any of various peoples sharing the Olmec culture. ...
The ancient Olmec civilization, which flourished in Mesoamerica around 3200 to 2400 years ago, left behind a remarkable legacy: the colossal stone heads, some standing nearly 10 feet tall and weighing 8 tons on average. The sheer size and craftsmanship of these sculptures have long baffled archaeo...
Tikal,likely calledYax MutalorYax Mutulby its inhabitants, was the capital city of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya civilization. It's in the rainforest in the Petén Basin of today's Guatemala. Tikal dominated the Maya region economically, politically, and militarily. Pl...
Teotihuacán(tāōtēwäkänˈ), ancient commercial and religious center in the central valley of Mexico, c.30 mi (48 km) NE of Mexico City. Once thought to be the great religious center of theToltec, it is now held to be the relic of an earlier civilization. Teotihuacán is the larg...
civilization,culture with a relatively high degree of elaboration and technical development. The termcivilizationalso designates that complex of cultural elements that first appeared in human history between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago. At that time, on the basis of agriculture, stock-raising, and ...
All the while, Modern man was also migrating northward through east Africa. Some of these people found their way to the Nile Valley and founded the Egyptian civilization. Others kept going, and founded the Canaanite civilization in modern Israel/Palestine, the Sumerian civilization in Iraq, the ...
The origins of the game date back to at least 1000 BCE, but there is evidence that the game may have its roots in the early days of the Olmec Civilization. The only evidence that survives of the Olmec having played this game is a few pieces of artwork and a few statures. The Olmec...
The legend ofAtlantis, an advanced civilization supposedly lost beneath the waves thousands of years ago, first appeared in aPlatonic parablearound 360 B.C.E. In the Greek philosopher’s telling,Atlantis’ half-god, half-human founders wielded immense power and riches that corrupted their cha...
Chronology: The Olmecs existed as a fully-fledged civilisation in Mesoamerica from approx' 1,600 BC - 400 BC, with evidence of 'Pre-Olmec' activity in the region since 2,500 BC, but it wasn't until around 1,500 BC that they became the dominant power in Mesoamerica.The first Olmec cen...
Before the dawn of the Olmec civilization, trade in Mesoamerica was common. Highly desirable items like obsidian knives, animal skins, and salt were routinely traded between neighboring cultures. The Olmecs created long-distance trade routes to obtain the things they needed, eventually making contacts...