The Olmecs lived in Mexico during the period from about 1200BC to about 800BC. According to some historians, the Olmecs came to Mexico from West Africa – the Saharan Region, some 3500years ago. Other historians attribute the Olmecs’ ancestry to American Indians and possibly Asians. Nonetheless, the Olmecs established the first Mesoamerican civilization and their culture went on to influence many succeeding cultures in aspects pertaining to religion, language, and social class.
The Olmecs’ civilization possessed a high degree of societal organization and class stratification. The following diagram outlines the hierarchical structure of the Olmecs’ society.
Skilled Artisans, Traders, Wealthy Olmecs
Common people – corn farmers, hunters, other farmers
Apart from job-function, wealth and status also de
termined the division of social classes and the location of the various Olmec communities. For example, the wealthy Olmecs and those from the upper classes possessed elaborate houses, their burials contained jade trinkets and other symbols of rank and they resided in the larger towns and cities e.g. San Lorenzo and La Venta. The farming community however occupied the rural areas and countryside and their location facilitated the production of food for the sustenance of the urban Olmec population. The highly organized and stratified society enabled large building projects e.g. irrigation systems and other advances.
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