Answer:
slash-and-burn techniques
Explanation:
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Humanities › History & Culture
Ancient Olmec Culture
The Founding Culture of Mesoamerica
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Olmec Head in Villahermosa
Olmec Head in Villahermosa.
diego_cue [ CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Table of Contents
By Christopher Minster
Updated May 30, 2019
The Olmec culture thrived along Mexico’s Gulf Coast from approximately 1200-400 B.C. The first great Mesoamerican culture, it had been in decline for centuries before the arrival of the first Europeans, therefore, much information about the Olmecs has been lost. We know the Olmecs primarily through their art, sculpture, and architecture. Although many mysteries remain, ongoing work by archaeologists, anthropologists, and other researchers has given us something of a glimpse into what Olmec life might have been like.
Olmec Food, Crops, and Diet
The Olmecs practiced basic agriculture using the "slash-and-burn" technique, in which overgrown plots of land are burned: this clears them for planting and the ashes act as fertilizer. They planted many of the same crops seen in the region today, such as squash, beans, manioc, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. Maize was a staple of the Olmec diet, although it is possible that it was introduced late in the development of their culture.
