A human society is considered to have reached civilization when it achieves a particular stage of development in terms of its standard social norms, culture, industry, and government. The components of a civilization are many. Large population concentrations, imposing structures and unique architectural designs, standardized communication techniques, land management systems, complex labor divisions, and social and economic stratification are a few examples. As a result, this analysis clarifies Mesoamerican culture and its influence on society.
The Olmec people founded Mesoamerican civilization by inventing the region’s first writing and number systems. Along 1,200 B.C.E., the Olmec civilization consolidated its many village groups along the Gulf of Mexico. Until around 400 BCE, the Olmec people enjoyed great prosperity (Inomata et al., 2021). Many still regard the Olmecs as the “mother culture” of the several other cultures that followed them in the region, even though their impact on the Americas declined centuries before the Common Era.
The Olmec people did important things. The Olmecs were the first Mesoamericans to develop a calendar, a method of counting to zero, and hieroglyphic writing (Šprajc et al., 2023). Additionally, the Olmecs discovered the Americas’ first conduit drainage system. Among the gigantic constructions created by the Olmec were thrones, stelas, giant stone heads, and statues. This civilization may be the source of the centuries-old ceremonial team sport in Mesoamerica, known as the ball game. Along with their varied ceramics, the Olmecs left their mark over a large swathe of land with their clay pyramids and mounds. The Olmecs were a “mother culture” that created cultures like the Maya, Zapotec, Totonac, and Teotihuacán. Despite each of these civilizations’ unique art, architecture, and societies, many historians believe they are all descended from the same progenitor.
Even though the Crusade had some adverse effects, it improved trade, cultural spread, and religious harmony across medieval Europe more than offset them in the long run; the Crusades’ consolidation of political power in Europe encouraged trade and commercial activity, broke intellectual stagnation, and established modern nation-states. We continue to use new mathematical concepts and the new numerical system that the Europeans discovered: Hindu Arabic numerals. Additionally, they were able to gain new medical ideas and knowledge. The Crusades also opened up many new trade possibilities, introducing Europeans to items they had never seen before. Unintentionally, the Crusades led to Christians killing Jews because, well, they weren’t Christians (Curta, 2019). A mindset that despises and targets Jews is considered anti-Semitic—the Crusades greatly enhanced religious prejudice. The persistent hostility between Christians and Muslims is one legacy of the Crusades. The Kings also enacted tax policies to raise funds for their crusades.
Conclusively, the Olmec people founded Mesoamerican culture, the “mother culture” of other regional cultures. They invented the first writing and number systems, consolidated village groups, and developed a calendar, counting method, hieroglyphic writing, conduit drainage system, and monumental constructions. The Olmecs also left a lasting impact on the Americas with their clay pyramids and mounds. It is believed that the Maya, Zapotec, Totonac, and Teotihuacán descended from the same progenitor. Despite their adverse effects, the Crusades improved trade, cultural spread, and religious harmony across medieval Europe. They established modern nation-states, introduced new mathematical concepts, and introduced new medical ideas. However, the Crusades also led to anti-Semitic attitudes and increased religious prejudice.
References
Curta, F. (2019). Crusades in Eastern Europe. In Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages (500-1300)(2 vols) (pp. 556-575). Brill.
Inomata, T., Fernandez-Diaz, J. C., Triadan, D., García Mollinedo, M., Pinzón, F., García Hernández, M., … & Moreno Díaz, M. (2021). Origins and spread of formal ceremonial complexes in the Olmec and Maya regions revealed by airborne lidar. Nature Human Behaviour, 5(11), 1487-1501. https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10332671
Šprajc, I., Inomata, T., & Aveni, A. F. (2023). Origins of Mesoamerican astronomy and calendar: Evidence from the Olmec and Maya regions. Science Advances, 9(1), eabq7675. https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.abq7675
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