San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan facts for kids

San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan was a very old and important city. It was a big center for farming and people for the Olmec civilization. The Olmecs lived in what is now southeastern Mexico. They were one of the first complex societies in the Americas, appearing around 1500 BC. San Lorenzo is famous for being one of the very first cities built in the Americas.

San Lorenzo: An Important Ancient City

San Lorenzo grew quickly because of where it was located. It was in the Coatzacoalcos flood plain. This area had very rich and fertile land, which was perfect for farming. This is similar to how the first big cities in the world started. Many of them grew in fertile river valleys, like those in Mesopotamia.

Because the land was so good for farming, San Lorenzo became the most populated Olmec settlement. This was between 1200 and 900 BC. During this time, San Lorenzo also had the biggest trade market in the entire Olmec Heartland.

What Happened to San Lorenzo?

Around 800 BC, many people moved away from San Lorenzo. They went to a nearby city called La Venta. We don't know exactly why they left.

However, San Lorenzo was settled again around 600 BC. It became a place for important Olmec religious ceremonies. The population slowly faded away around 400 BC. This was also when the Olmec civilization itself began to disappear.

Today, San Lorenzo is still a very important archaeological site. Archaeologists have found many amazing things there. These include the famous Colossal Heads and beautiful jade masks. These discoveries help us learn a lot about Olmec culture. They also show how much the Olmecs influenced later civilizations. These include the Aztec and Maya peoples.

Images for kids

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  Front and side views of Colossal Head 1 now located at Museo de Antropología de Xalapa in Xalapa, Veracruz. This head dates from 1200 to 900 BCE and is 2.9 metres (9 ft 6 in) high and 2.1 metres (6 ft 11 in) wide.

See also

In Spanish: San Lorenzo (zona arqueológica) para niños