- The education of the Olmecs was very advanced for their time
- Influential achievements of Olmec education
- References
The education of the Olmecs could be quite strict and varied according to sex; that is, men were educated differently than women and vice versa.
As in many tribal cultures of Mesoamerica, the Olmecs became the cradle of many customs of current Latin American culture, or at least of those indigenous ethnic groups that are still in force.
Exhibition of Olmec objects related to the construction of power in the Mesoamerican Museum of Jade. Source: AlejandroLinaresGarcia / Public domain
The studies of historians, as well as archaeologists have made some discoveries in which it can be noted how sex was a quite influential factor in Olmec education.
The education of the Olmecs was very advanced for their time
The Olmecs were a now extinct civilization that formed during the Middle Preclassic period.
Olmec culture is considered by many to be the "cradle" of Mesoamerican culture, despite this, there is much mystery and unsolved questions that historians fail to understand.
It is very true that the Olmecs were influenced by other civilizations, especially in the origin of their artistic style and some customs that were present in their education.
Olmec head. Source: National museum of Anthropologie, Mexiko-Stadt Photograph: Luidger.
The Olmecs were known to engage in a variety of activities; men were the ones who usually went hunting, while women carried out household activities. This principle had a fundamental impact on the way in which the inhabitants were educated.
For example, there is evidence that women should be more modest, unlike men. They had to dress discreetly and control their manners.
They were also taught housework, such as grinding, cultivating and preparing food. It was they who were engaged in agriculture.
The men stood out as merchants, builders, artists, and warriors. From a very young age they were taught that "strength" was one of the most important values.
This is why they were bathed in very cold water and slept on the floor. All this with the intention of strengthening character.
Influential achievements of Olmec education
Olmec agriculture
The Olmecs also stood out for providing large doses of education to Western Latin American culture. This civilization developed a system of written communication through glyphs.
In the same way, they are credited with creating the calendar. The Olmecs were also very skilled in art.
One of the most recognized works are the gigantic Olmec heads in which the artists represented warriors or chiefs of the tribes.
The Olmecs were also educated in economic matters, since they were dedicated to the commercialization of agricultural products that they offered to neighboring peoples and Mesoamerican nomadic groups.
Thanks to this knowledge, they were able to expand and create new trade routes, reaching countries such as Guatemala and Central Mexico.
Religion was an influencing factor. They were polytheists and all their gods were related to the land and agriculture.
The little ones were taught to worship the jaguar, an animal that is represented in much of the iconography of this civilization.
References
- Olmec. Retrieved on September 14, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Education in the different pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico. Retrieved on September 14, 2017, from broocktheblog.blogspot.com
- The olmecas. Retrieved on September 14, 2017, from yumiqocervantes.blogspot.com
- Olmec educational policy. Retrieved on September 14, 2017, from es.slideshare.net
- Olmec culture. Retrieved on September 14, 2017, from sites.google.com.