SSC MTS EXAM

Detailed explanation-1: -Pre-Olmec cultures had flourished since about 2500 BCE, but by 1600–1500 BCE, early Olmec culture had emerged, centered on the San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán site near the coast in southeast Veracruz. They were the first Mesoamerican civilization, and laid many of the foundations for the civilizations that followed.

Detailed explanation-2: -Yes, the Olmecs are older historically than the Mayans. Olmec civilization lasted from approximately 1200 BCE until 400 BCE, while Mayan civilization spanned between approximately 300 BCE and 900 CE. Thus, the Olmecs predated the Mayans.

Detailed explanation-3: -Though the Olmec area is hard to see on the map, it is the small area between the Aztec and Mayan areas. In South America, early civilizations developed along the coast because the high Andes and the inhospitable Amazon Basin made the interior of the continent less favorable for settlement.