WHI-Chap6/21-Obj1
"What were the achievements of Olmec civilization; what is the significance of the Olmecs?"
The Olmec's cultural traditions influenced all complex societies of Mesoamerica until the late 16th century. The Olmecs were the first to cultivate maize, which soon came to be recognized as the staple crop of Mesoamerica. All later societies left behind evidence of ceremonial centers with temples and pyramids that were structured similarly to the one found in the Olmec center, La Venta. The Olmec calendar was notably used as a basis for the Mayan and Teotihuacan calendars. The Teotihuacan even expanded the Olmec's graphic symbols into a complex writing system. The people known as the Olmecs set the ground for every later societies economic, religious, and governmental structures.
("Traditions & Encounters" p.136-137, p.144-146)
