The Cultural contributions of the Olmecs Can be classified in several types as the monuments or the pyramids.
This original town of the Gulf of Mexico (in the territory that today is known like Veracruz and Tabasco), was a civilization that had its flowering during the Pre-Classic period of the denominated Mesoamerica, approximately between the years 1,200 A.C. And 400 A.C.
The reason why they were called"Olmecs"was not very clear until a few years ago. It was known that it was related to the area where they lived. The term comes from the word" Olmecatl "That in the Aztec language Nahuatl Means"the people of rubber".
The Olmecs were a complex and in some ways mysterious indigenous people. They formed an organized society rich in architectural, artistic and intellectual expressions, with well defined hierarchies.
The Olmec society was mostly concentrated in three sites, which had a ceremonial character, such as the deposits of San Lorenzo, La Venta and Tres Zapotes, where today some elements are preserved. These places became the scene of great economic, political power and important religious leadership.
They were characterized by their impressive buildings and large cities, which evidenced the great capacity of planning and expansion that they possessed. But they not only excelled in this type of matters, but also their way of life and the way in which they were interrelated with other towns
In large part, its legacy happened to be part of subsequent civilizations, reason why the Olmec culture is priceless.
10 of the cultural contributions that Olmec culture has made to the world
1- The rubber
Recent research has shown that the name is due to the Olmecs processing latex from rubber trees ( Castilla Elastica ), Which were abundant in the region and when combined with the juice of a species of vine, produced a kind of resistant rubber.
Evidence has been found, such as rubber balls dating back several centuries, which were manufactured by the Olmecs. While Charles Goodyear takes credit for the invention of rubber, there was definitely a people who already knew something about it. After all, it is the"rubber town".
2- The monumental Olmec sculptures
They are considered as the most distinctive expressions of Olmec culture. These are colossal sculptures, of sizes that reach up to 3 meters in height, made in carved basaltic stone.
Mainly you can find human heads (who probably represented warriors, even gods), great altars and thrones, human figures of real size as well as hybrid forms of animals and humans.
In the town of Villahermosa is the La Venta Museum, where several altars and colossal heads can be seen in the open air, as well as in other places where they are exhibited, such as squares and other museums.
The unique and realistic style of Olmec art is such a genuine feature that it is almost infallible to attribute them to this pre-Hispanic culture, even though it is not certain where it was found.
3- Pyramids
The Olmec pyramids had the function of serving as support structures for the temples or ceremonial centers where a series of religious rituals took place. They were usually built around a square and were made of baked clay bricks.
The top of the pyramids was flat, that is, they were truncated pyramids; In this place was constructed the temple, which was later surrounded with tombs. Obviously, these constructions were part of complexes dedicated to the religious practices of the Olmecs.
4- The chocolate
The first civilization in consuming the fruit of the cacao was the Olmec, approximately in the year 1,900 A.C. The cocoa beans were subjected to a fermentation, curing and roasting process, then milled and mixed with hot water.
Initially it was consumed as a hot beverage and was used in ritual ceremonies, according to the evidence found in San Lorenzo (Olmec deposit) where residues of cocoa were found in remains of pottery vessels.
5- Ball games
There are several indications that the Olmecs practiced some kind of game with rubber balls, especially in the aforementioned town of San Lorenzo.
One of them is in the colossal heads themselves, since many were represented with a kind of helmet, and it is believed that the latter could have acted as protectors for the practice of the game in question.
As there is no evidence to prove the existence of courts to develop this activity, it is believed to be performed in open fields.
6- Rituals and religious cults
Beliefs and cults are considered as one of the ways in which many ideas and knowledge have spread among pre-Hispanic peoples.
This is evidenced by the fact that many religious practices became part of the customs of later civilizations such as Mayas , Aztecs Y Zapotec , Whose cults and deities come partly from the Olmec beliefs.
Art was also an important way of expressing and extending religion, through the representation of deities in sculptures and small figures.
7- The development of the calendar
The system devised by the Olmecs was extraordinarily precise and was based on a solar year of 365 days and a lunar year of 260 days, the combination of which generated a cycle of 52 years.
It was believed that this cycle marked the end of an era, at which time dangerous events were expected.
8- Invention of zero
The creation of such a calendar implied an advanced knowledge of Mathematics. The Olmec culture is also considered as the civilization that invented the concept of"Zero", although erroneously has been attributed this discovery to the Mayas.
They had a vigesimal numerical system, that is to say, of base 20, and they used three symbols: a point to signify the number 1, a bar to indicate the number 2 and a symbol similar to a sea shell that represented the 0.
The invention of Zero allowed the Olmecs to make complex calculations and write the numbers by positions, as we do today.
9- Hieroglyphic writing
Hieroglyphs could often be found on stone monuments accompanied by dates, and also on small objects.
The researchers believe that the archaeological evidence indicates a strong possibility that the Mesoamerican writing had its origin in the Olmec culture and its iconography.
10- Epigraphy
In fact, the contribution of the Olmec epigraphy went directly to the Maya writing, which is also composed of influences from other civilizations.
The use of symbols as a form of expression was undoubtedly a legacy that allowed the development of many other pre-Columbian cultures.
References
- Bernal, I. (1969). The Olmec World. California, University of California Press.
- Cartwright, M. (2013). Ancient History Encyclopedia: Olmec Civilization. Retrieved from: www.ancient.eu.
- Cartwright, M. (2014). Ancient History Encyclopedia: Chocolate. Recovered from: ancient.eu.
- Douglas et al. (2016). Encyclopaedia Britannica: Pre Columbian Civilizations. Retrieved from: www.britannica.com. Kaufman, R. (2010). National Geographic News: Aztec, Maya Were Rubber-Making Masters? Retrieved from: news.nationalgeographic.com.
- Powis et al (2011). Cacao use and the San Lorenzo Olmec. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Retrieved from: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Suchlicki, J. (2008). From Montezuma to the Rise of the PAN. Washington D.C., Potomac Books.
- Trigger, B. and Washburn, W. (1996). The Cambridge History of the Native Peoples of the Americas. Cambridge, Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.