Olmec Farming and Settlements

The Olmecs were the first central american civilization who achieved a lot. They were talented sculptors, artist, and architects who were very religious. They specifically believed in a jaguar god, and the symbol of the jaguar appeared very often in the Olmec culture. They were also polytheistic, and believed in other gods, such as the Maize god (maize was their main staple). They built the first pyramids in America and also achieved lots of things, such as the compass, calendar, a water and drainage system, mathematics discoveries, and so many more things.

The Olmecs lived on the southern Gulf Coast of Mexico which today is known as the states Veracruz and Tabasco. Most Olmec lived in small villages, while others lived in larger towns. These towns were religious and governmental centers that were filled with beautiful temples and plazas. The major Olmec urban area was San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, at the time the largest city in Mesoamerica. It was a ritual and political system that had an elaborate water and drainage system. They created a lot of things religiously and culturally that influenced many other cultures later.

Civilization began in coastal lowlands, and by the early 1500s BC, the Olmec already started planting many crops in the rich soil along the banks of the area’s river. Olmec lands were already prone to flooding, thus farmers often built their houses on artificial hills, to avoid damage; however, the floods were able to deposit silt and mud, which created fertile land for the farmers. In a year, farmers were able to grow and harvest about two or more crops, thus giving them a surplus of food. They grew different crops, such as maize (corn), squash, beans, tomatoes, and chilies.