Olmec+and+Chavin

**The Olmec** **First Civilization of the Americas: 1200-250 B.C.E**

art social/culture political religion intellect technology environment
 * ** A **
 * The Olmec were known for their exquisite art work, which included carved jade figurines, necklaces, ceremonial knives and axes, and giant head sculptures made from basalt.
 * Artisans traded for obsidian, jade, and pottery
 * Colassal size sulptures of indiviual kinship leaders were estimatd to be around 11 feet tall ||
 * ** S **
 * ======Elites lived in highly decorated homes and wore elegant jewlery and clothing======
 * Commoners lived in "homes" made of stick and mud
 * Food sources were reliable for the commoners (diverse diet)
 * Shamans, people who believed they had a direct contact to a deitie (see religion), gave advice about agriculture and periodic rain to leaders ||
 * ** P **
 * Not much is known about the Olmec poltical structure
 * "The rise of major urban centers coincided with the appearances of a form of kingship that combined religious and secular roles."
 * Leaders/Rulers were associaed with the jaguar
 * Leaders were able to direct the labor of thousands of people at a time
 * The earliest major center was San Lorenzo ||
 * ** R **
 * Small ceramic figurines, stone carvings, and utilitarian pots were associated with religious beliefs.
 * People became close to the gods from bloodletting and human sacrafices
 * Polytheistic: the beleif of multiple deities (supernatural immoral beings) ||
 * ** I **
 * Created a calendar based on the observation of stars. It was used to organize ritual life and agriculture.
 * Produced a form of writing that influenced other civilizations such as the Mayan empire ||
 * ** T **
 * Domestication of corn (maize), beans, and squash
 * Irrigation and drainage canals (for farms) ||
 * ** E **
 * Rich plant diversity
 * Temperate climate
 * Geographic and climate diversity (earthquakes and volcanic eruptions)
 * Minerals: obsidian, quartz, and jade ||