Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Chapter 15, Lesson 2: The Olmec (pp. 400-403)
I. A Fertile Environment
B. Olmec farmers adapted to the region's tropical conditions to become efficient producers of food.
C. As their population increased, the Olmec developed a complex society.
II. Elite and Commoners
B. The existence of giant carved heads suggests a division of labor in Olmec society.
C. Differences in Olmec burial sites suggest different Olmec classes.
III. Power and Religion
B. The jaguar-man may have been the most important Olmec god.
IV. Trade and Competition
B. The Olmec fought among themselves and with neighbors for resources and control of trade routes.
C. Enemies destroyed Olmec civilization around 400 B.C.
Lesson at a Glance Outline
A. Olmec civilization developed around 1200 B.C. in southeastern Mexico.
A. Olmec society was probably divided between the elite and the commoners.
A. Olmec rulers were were both civil and religious leaders.
A. The Olmec traded with neighboring people to obtain jade and other raw materials.
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