Final answer:
The term 'Olmec' translates to 'rubber people' and refers to an influential Mesoamerican civilization known for its monumental sculptures, advanced urban centers, and extensive trade networks. They worshiped a complex pantheon of deities and developed hieroglyphic writing and a 365-day calendar. Their cultural practices laid the groundwork for later civilizations such as the Maya and Aztecs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term 'Olmec' translates to 'rubber people' in Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztecs. The name is believed to have been inspired by the Olmecs' significant use of rubber, which was indigenous to their homeland near the Gulf Coast of Mexico. This early Mesoamerican civilization had a rich and lasting cultural legacy. They were renowned for their monumental artworks, sculptures, and their influence on later civilizations such as the Maya and Aztecs. The Olmecs flourished from about 1200 to about 400 BCE, establishing advanced urban centers and cultivating various crops such as maize, squash, and beans.
Their society was stratified, with an elite class emerging partly due to extensive trade networks that spanned much of Mesoamerica. The Olmecs are also credited with early developments in religious and political systems, which seemed to be deeply integrated. They worshiped a complex pantheon of deities, including a rain god, a maize god, and the feathered serpent, which would later be significant in Aztec and Maya belief systems. Moreover, they developed a system of hieroglyphic writing and created a 365-day calendar.
One of the most visually striking legacies of the Olmec culture is their colossal head sculptures, often believed to represent rulers, fashioned from large boulders and transported significant distances without the use of wheels or beasts of burden. Despite the mystery that still surrounds much of their history and the exact cause of their decline, the Olmecs' contributions to Mesoamerican art, architecture, and mythological traditions are widely acknowledged.