The early American civilization was broken up into four major cultures- the Olmec of Mexico, the Mayans of Central America, the Aztecs of Mexico, and the Incas of Peru, but I will be focusing on the Olmec. The Olmec were the prominent culture of Mexico from 2000 - 300 BC. The Olmecs were responsible for creating the first calendar of the western world, and also had their own form of hieroglyphic writing. Their culture revolved around their polytheistic religion and the temple was considered the epicenter of the city. They were well known for their large stone head statues and jade sculptures. I love the fact that art was such a prominent factor in their culture and all the artifacts that have been left over from this time.
A jaguar, the symbol of the Olmec people, carved out of jade.
Modern day flooring inspired by the use of jade
BONUS INFO! If some of you are too young to remember, there was a show called "Legends of the Hidden Temple" on Nickelodeon network where contestants had to answer questions and perform various competitions and the "co-host" of the show was a giant talking head named Olmec!
Olmec from "Legends of the Hidden Temple" - slightly terrifying.
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