The Olmecs

It all began with the Olmecs. To this day, Mexico is home to the largest population of Spanish speakers. Mexico is best known for their bright colors, Mexican cuisine, as well as their celebrations. As early as 30,000 years ago, the Olmecs settled in North America and Mexico. They were most likely hunters and gatherers. These villages eventually grew into cities. To this day, the term Mesoamerica is used to describe the areas these cities were located. The Olmecs are also known for the giant heads they created by carving them out of stone. The Olmecs had two main civilizations named San Lorenzo, which flourished from 1200 B.C to 900 B.C., and La Venta, which lasted until 600 B.C. The Mayans, who also were settled in Mexico, prospered between 250 threw 900 A.D. They are well known for constructing the calendar and a number system. It is considered to be the most advanced ancient civilization. The civilization collapsed in the 10th century. The reason is unknown, but the most popular theory is that they endured overpopulation. The Toltec civilization also played a big role in the development of Mexico history. One of their kings named Tezcatlipoca is thought to have demanded mass sacrifices of imprisoned enemy warriors. They most like performed these sacrifices to satisfy their gods. Tula is home to an estimated …show more content…
Some well-known artists that were from Mexico include Frida Khalo, Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, Rufino Tamayo, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. These artists are very different in their style as well as the subjects they paint. However, they all play a main role in the art of Mexico. Mexico has a large amount of murals, which are paintings on walls. These murals are traced all the way back to the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. Diego Rivera is the most known muralists in Mexico. His murals can be found in the Mexican National Palace of Fine Arts as well as the lobby of New York’s 30 Rockefeller