The great Olmec Civilization existed in the Gulf of Mexico. They had four main urban zones at San Lorenzo, La Venta, Tres Zapotes, and Laguna de los Cerros.
Royal residences were at the centre of each zone. The religious centre of Olmec culture was La Venta, which was one of its prominent cities. Olmec cities reached their peak of prosperity between 1200 and 900 BC.
The Olmecs developed the famous Mesoamerican ball game. The game was both a sport and a religious right. In this game, the players try to knock a rubber ball through a stone ring. There were several playing courts in their cities for this game.
The Olmec people were known for their architectural skills, too. They constructed the earliest pyramid in the city of La Venta. Like all the Mesoamerican civilizations the Olmecs were good agriculturalists. They cleared forests and cultivated maize, beans, tomatoes, and squash.
