Olmec
Pre-Mayan Mexican civilization
The Olmec were an ancient Mesoamerican civilization that flourished along Mexico's Gulf Coast from roughly 1500 to 400 BCE.
Often called the "mother culture" of later civilizations like the Maya and Aztec, they're known for colossal stone heads, early writing systems, and the Mesoamerican ballgame.
As an adjective, Olmec describes their art, religion, or artifacts: Olmec jade figurines.
Glassy igneous rock
- jadeCarved ornamental mineral
- cacaoTropical pod-bearing tree
- rubberElastic polymer from trees
- magnetiteMagnetic iron ore
serpentine · long-distance trade · mirrors · tribute · marketplace · Guatemala
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- ceramicsHardened clay objects
- jadeCarved ornamental mineral
- potsherdsFragments of broken ceramics
stratigraphy · carbon-dating · burials · monuments · settlements · glyphs · epigraphy · anthropology
Fine-grained volcanic stone
- monumentalExceptionally large or significant
- carvingShaping by cutting away
- jadeiteHarder true jade mineral
- figurinesSmall ornamental sculptures
thrones · altars · iconography · masks · serpentine · celts · helmets · facial features
Southern U.S. maritime region
- VeracruzMexican Gulf port city
- TabascoPeppery Louisiana condiment
- pre-ColumbianAmericas before 1492
- MesoamericaPre-Columbian Central American region
heartland · theocracy · chiefdom · city-state · Long Count calendar
Mediation between worlds
- jaguarLarge American spotted cat
- feathered serpentWinged snake deity
- cosmologyStudy of universal structure
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
sacrifice · mythology · transformation · spirit world · bloodletting · cave · axis mundi · underworld
Mesoamerican indigenous group
- MayaAncient Mesoamerican people
- AztecAncient Mexican civilization
- ballgameOrganized athletic competition
- writing systemSymbols representing language
calendar · influence · precursor · artistic tradition · religious iconography · urban planning
obsidian
Glassy igneous rock
magnetite · serpentine · long-distance trade · mirrors · tribute · marketplace · Guatemala
excavation
Act of unearthing
potsherds · stratigraphy · carbon-dating · burials · monuments · settlements · glyphs · epigraphy · anthropology · midden
basalt
Fine-grained volcanic stone
- monumentalExceptionally large or significant
- carvingShaping by cutting away
- jadeiteHarder true jade mineral
figurines · thrones · altars · iconography · masks · serpentine · celts · helmets · facial features · portrait
Gulf Coast
Southern U.S. maritime region
- VeracruzMexican Gulf port city
- TabascoPeppery Louisiana condiment
- pre-ColumbianAmericas before 1492
Mesoamerica · heartland · theocracy · chiefdom · city-state · Long Count calendar
shamanism
Mediation between worlds
- jaguarLarge American spotted cat
- feathered serpentWinged snake deity
- cosmologyStudy of universal structure
ritual · sacrifice · mythology · transformation · spirit world · bloodletting · cave · axis mundi · underworld · vision quest
Zapotec
Mesoamerican indigenous group
- MayaAncient Mesoamerican people
- AztecAncient Mexican civilization
- ballgameOrganized athletic competition
writing system · calendar · influence · precursor · artistic tradition · religious iconography · urban planning
- ancient AmericasMachu Picchu, Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, Tenochtitlan, Tikal
- ancient civilizationsAncient Egypt, Sumer, Ancient Greece, Aztecs, Egypt
- Latin AmericaArgentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba
- Mexican HeritageAztec, Maya, Nahuatl, mariachi, tequila
- Lost CivilizationsAtlantis, Pompeii, Troy, Babylon, Mycenae
- MesoamericaMaya, Aztec, Aztecs, Aztec Empire, Oaxaca
OlmecAztec
Ancient Mexican civilization
Maya · Toltec · Zapotec · Teotihuacan
OlmecSumerian
Earliest known civilization
Ancient Egyptian · Indus Valley · Ancient Greek · Roman · Mesopotamian