OLMEC EMPIRE MAP
The Olmec are considered to be one of the earliest Mesoamerican societies and had a profound impact on later Mesoamerican societies, such as the Maya and the Aztecs. In particular, the Olmec are considered to be foundational to the Aztec similarly to other early Mesoamerican civilizations such as: Toltec and Teotihuacan. The Olmec civilization emerged out of south-central Mexico in the tropical lowlands. Today, this area is the modern Mexico states of Veracruz and Tabasco. The Olmec are considered to have been at their height as a civilization from about 1500 BCE to approximately 400 BCE. In Nahuatl, which was the language of central Mesoamerica (Aztecs), the word Olmec literally means ‘rubber people’. Click the links above to read more information about each topic.
Map of the Olmec Empire by History Crunch