The Olmecs: Early Agriculture In Mesoamerica
The Olmecs
Early Agriculture in Mesoamerica
Mesoamerican people began to cultivate manioc, beans, chili peppers, avocados, and gourds. By 4000 B.C.E., maize had become the major staple crop of the region. Tomatoes were later added as a crop that they cultivated.
By 3000 B.C.E., agricultural villages started to appear and by 2000 B.C.E. agriculture spread amongst Mesoamerica.
Although Mesoamericans had animals, they did not have cattle, sheep, goats, or pigs, meaning that there was very little protein available to them. They were unable to harness energy of prominent animals of the eastern hemisphere, which included horses and oxen.
Since draft animals did not exist in Mesoamerica, they had no need for wheeled vehicles since they had nothing to pull the wagons. Human laborers prepared fields
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On special occasions, large numbers of people would gather in the ceremonial centers, then returned to their homes in neighboring villages.
Olmecs: “The Rubber People”
The earliest known agricultural village and ceremonial center appeared on the Gulf of Mexico, which emerged as the nerve of Olmec society.
The Olmec did not have a proper name. The name Olmec means rubber people. They are called the rubber people because of the rubbers trees that are in the region that they lived in.
Olmec culture traditions influenced all of the complexes of the Mesoamerican society until the sixth century B.C.E., when the Europeans arrived.
San Lorenzo was the home to the first ceremonial center, which arose around 1200 B.C.E. and served as the capital for approximately 400 years. After San Lorenzo, influences were passed on to La Venta (800-400 B.C.E.) and Tres Zapotes (400-100 B.C.E.)
The Olmecs also built drainage systems to divert the water that could cause a flood or destroy their settlements. Some are still around
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