Olmec (Civ3)/Civilopedia

The Olmec were Mesoamerica's first great civilization. Originating along the Gulf Coast of Mexico circa 1200 BC, the Olmec were the first to construct ritual temples, shrines and pyramids which later cultures, such as the Toltecs, Aztecs, and Maya, perfected. Like many Mesoamerican cultures, the Olmec worshipped the jaguar, paid blood homage to their gods through human sacrifice, played numerous ball games, and devised a sophisticed method of writing through the use of stone hieroglyphics.