What Happened To The Olmec Empire?
No one knows for sure what happened to the Olmec civilization. Historians know that the Olmec laid the foundation for later civilizations in South and Central America. The culture practiced ritual bloodletting and invented the game the Mayan and Aztec cultures were known for.
What is known is that between 450 and 350 years before the current era began, the number of people living in the Eastern half of the Olmec Empire declined. By 350 BCE, the population is half of what it was by 400.
Modern theories abound, but much like the Mayan Civilization, no one is sure what happened. What is known is that the areas where the Olmecs flourished experienced an increased volcanic activity when the Olmec empire declined. The increased volcanic activity may have forced many people in the area to flee to more stable areas. The lands that the Olmecs once inhabited remained virtually barren until the 1800s.
Little details of the Empire remain. Spanish priests who came to the area during Mexico’s colonial periods destroyed many documents that may shed light on what happened to the area. Today, the Olmecs are best known for the artwork they left behind. The most noted forms of art are the colossal heads.