olmec

Thân thiện

A museum visitor looks at a large Olmec stone head sculpture.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A member of an early Mesoamerican civilization: An Olmec is a person who belonged to a foundational civilization that existed in what is now southern Mexico, primarily in the modern states of Veracruz and Tabasco.
   • Pertaining to the Olmec civilization: The term is also used attributively to describe the artifacts, art, and culture produced by this civilization.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The Olmec are often called the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica.
  • Archaeologists study the artifacts left behind by the Olmec.

Advanced Usage

• Used attributively: The word "Olmec" is frequently used as an adjective to describe the cultural products of this civilization, though it remains a noun in form.
  • The museum has a remarkable collection of Olmec sculpture.
  • Olmec art is famous for its colossal stone heads.

Variants and Related Words

• Olmecan (adj): A less common adjective form meaning "of or relating to the Olmecs."
• Mesoamerican (adj/n): Relating to the region and cultures of ancient Mexico and Central America, of which the Olmec were a part.

Synonyms

• There are no direct synonyms for the ethnic/cultural term "Olmec." Related descriptive terms include:
  • Pre-Columbian (adj): Belonging to the period before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas.
  • Ancient American (adj): Belonging to the ancient civilizations of the Americas.

Related Phrases

• Olmec civilization: The specific society and culture to which the Olmec people belonged.
  • The Olmec civilization laid the groundwork for later cultures like the Maya and Aztec.
• Colossal Olmec heads: The most iconic artifacts of the Olmec, massive stone sculptures of human heads.
  • The colossal Olmec heads are believed to represent rulers.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a member of an early Mesoamerican civilization centered around Veracruz that flourished between 1300 and 400 BC

Từ đồng nghĩa

• olmec