Culture · c. 1200–900 BCE
Olmec civilisation flourishes
San Lorenzo, Veracruz (Mexico)
In the tropical lowlands of Mexico's Gulf Coast, the Olmecs built San Lorenzo, the largest city in Mesoamerica from about 1200 to 900 BCE, before La Venta became their leading centre (c. 900–400 BCE).
They carved colossal stone heads up to about 3 m tall and weighing many tonnes, probably portraits of rulers, and buried rich offerings of jade and serpentine.
Why it mattered
Often called the mother culture of Mesoamerica (a debated label), the Olmecs pioneered monumental art and possibly ideas such as the ballgame and the Long Count calendar that shaped later civilisations like the Maya.
Related
- The world in 1500 BCE: Chariots and Empires chapter
- Shang bronzes and oracle bones previous moment · c. 1250 BCE
- Late Bronze Age collapse next moment · c. 1200–1150 BCE