6th+hour+2011-2012+Olmecs

6th hour Olmecs 2011-2012 Intro The Olmec people were America’s first civilization they were around at about 1500 B.C. They lived around the southern Gulf coast of Mexico. Little is known about the Olmec civilization but there are remains. The remains are their giant head carvings found in the ruins of a religious center in La Venta.

One of the Olmecs giant head carvings. [] **Raymond**: The olmecs lived from 1500-1200 B.C. Olmecs lived mostly along the Gulf coast of Mexico--state of Tabasco, but also Veracruz. Olmec remains have been found as far west as Morelos. // Here // the // Olmecs // constructed permanent city-temple complexes at San Lorenzo. While // Olmec // figurines are // found // abundantly in // sites // throughout the world based on this comparison, // some // have insisted that the // Olmecs were // Africans.
 * Cities: ****Google**


 * Raymond: ** The people back when Olmecs lived, preists had the most money out of everybody because of all of their beliefs and what they helped people with. The principal Olmec God took the form of half-jaguar, half-serpentm but they // had // many dieties. **...** They believed each individual // has // an animal spirit. The crossing over and transformation into the most powerful predator of the rain forest.



Eric Fry;The Olmecs, because of their lack of major cities, mainly lived in small villages, with minimal benefits to each person. Though almost every person in every village was a farmer, to provide for their own family and other village members, the different areas had different “bonuses” and different strengths. For example, La Venta may have controlled the cocoa, rubber, and salt of the Olmecs civilization. Also some people were kings, pr iests, and shamans. All people of the Olmec civilization also helped in the religious ceremonies, although they were overseen and performed by the shamans and priests.



A sculpture of an Olmec man.

Eric Fry; Although the people also helped in making the giant pyramids, they were also able to withstand the elements and remain 111 feet above the ground. Another public benefit and work was the long and prosperous trade routes between the major cites of the Olmecs, and the some of the larger villages. One of the most different things in the village life was their diet. It consisted of many meats, like dog, raccoon, birds, rabbit and deer, the Olmec diet also consisted of many fruits and vegetables received from the surrounding areas. Unfortunately because of the long time spent being eroded, and evidence of what could be revolt, war, or recycling of materials, much of the other works have been destroyed.



A mosaic at the city of La Venta. +++++++

__ The Olmec Art and Architecture __

The Olmecs were responsible for many Arts and architecture which represented monumental jewelry. Their jeweler was highly stylized and religion gave the meaning of their artwork. Some Olmec artwork is surprisingly naturalistic, displaying human anatomy.

Classic Maya era Art

The most well known arts of the shamanism religion, and the whole Native American shamanism, is the way the Olmecs can assume the powers of many ani mals. One of the most powerful animals that the Olmecs are most common with is the Jaguar. To them it has the strength, spiritually and intellect of a man and the ferocity of a very strong and powerful Jaguar.

Olmecs holds a half human half jaguar body

Olmec holds a Jaguar baby __ The Olmec Written Language __

The Olmecs had a various type of font that they used. They would use this font in many things to describe their paintings, and other sculptures. Mende script was also used by Mandinkas and other Africans in West Africa. The Olmecs mostly used their writing system to express their paintings and drawings that they made. They used syllabic and hieroglyphic writing fonts. This font was found in the lower part of Mexico because that’s where the origin of the writing began and in 1832 it was written and published on an important paper.

Religion
Olmec people practiced Shamanism they believed that every living person contained an inner spirit. The shaman was a healing man who would conduct religious rituals. Olmecs also believed that Jaguars were the Shaman in the animal kingdom so they would worship them and perform rituals. These rituals took place in huge buildings built by Olmecs. Olmec people would carve monumental stone heads that were believed to be portraits of their leaders. The portraits stood over 8 feet high weighed about 20 tons. They carved these without the use of metal tools.

[] Olmecs Shaman sculpture

Governm ent The Olmec people had kings, names unknown. The kings would get people to build groups of stone temples at Tenochtitlan and surrounding areas. The Olmec people would preform their rituals at the temples and store food there also. recent discoveries show the Olmecs used writing records around these buildings which were like gravestones.

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Writing record in La Venta



Eric Fry; In conclusion, the Olmec civilization practiced shamanism in large temples that were dedicated to the gods. The Olmecs had a Large trade route that allowed the area to expand to most of the region now known as Mexico. The Olmecs had Priests and kings at the top, and then everyone else was beneath the. The surviving art was mainly statues of jade and stone. But we also don’t know much more, based on the time the remains of the civilization spent being eroded and pillaged.

A Jade Face mask made by the Olmecs

** Work sited: ** "Olmec Civilization - Crystalinks." //Crystalinks Home Page//. Crystal Links. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. []. // http://www.mexicovacationstravels com/ //

// http //www.aisyahramlan.com/

"Cool Text." //Cool Text//. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. . []

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