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| Farming in Olmec Civilization |
The Olmec had a lot of unique characteristics that made them easy to remember such as their giant colossal heads they built. But probably the most interesting thing that I learned about them was their economy. They were situated in an area that was hot and humid and prone to hurricanes and heavy rainfall that led to frequent flooding of rivers (Lost Kingdoms 4:35 - 4:40). Despite all of this they still managed to live by depending on their agriculture which primarily consisted of crops such as maize, squash, and beans.
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| Trade Routes of Olmec |
Trading (although no specific records were shown) was also done by the Olmec. They had developed extensive trade routes throughout a majority of Mesoamerica trading things such as jade, pottery, serpentine etc. (McKillop 83). In fact because of their trading system with nearby civilizations, they essentially became the "mother culture" because of how influential the Olmec were. Their system of trade is what helped other civilizations out by essentially being a model to follow even after the Olmec declined.
The importance of the economy of a civilization especially one as complex as the Olmec is essential to its survival. The production of those three staple crops led to a surplus of food for its people. and the trading system that expanded across Mesoamerica aided with increased influence among nearby tribes. Learning about this from reading and listening, actually surprised me because I never thought that the first Mesoamerican civilization would be this advanced.
FiveDigitCreature. YouTube, YouTube, 29 June 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2263&v=gTuab0SNuPA.
“Population and Settlement.” Mexico, http://durbalejmexico.weebly.com/population-and-settlement.html.
Minster, Christopher. “Ancient Olmec Trade and Economy.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 24 July 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/ancient-olmec-trade-and-economy-2136295.
“Sutori.” Sutori, https://www.sutori.com/story/olmec-farming-and-settlements--jLDHvMrFjBhNRtiVR6VAK72b.
