Rise

Long before the Maya or Aztec built their famous cities, the Olmecs were the first major civilization in Mesoamerica. They lived along the Gulf Coast of Mexico, in the warm and swampy lands of Veracruz and Tabasco. Because many later cultures copied their ideas — like writing styles, calendars, and art — the Olmecs are often called the “Mother Civilization” of the region. Their world was filled with giant stone heads, mysterious symbols, powerful leaders, and artwork we still don’t fully understand.

The Olmec civilization began around 1500–1400 BCE, when small fishing villages started to grow. At first, people survived by eating fish, clams, turtles, and other river animals. Over time, they learned to farm maize and manioc, which gave them more food. With more food, their villages became bigger and stronger.

Their first major center was San Lorenzo, built on a huge man-made plateau, using tens of thousands of baskets of dirt. This showed that the Olmecs were skilled builders, even without metal tools or wheels. Later, the city of La Venta became the heart of Olmec culture. It had plazas, temples, and amazing stone sculptures. Today, archaeologists have only dug up a small part of these ancient cities — most of their world is still buried under jungle and farms, waiting to be discovered.