As far as archeologists can piece together the story, the Olmec civilization emerged around 1200 BC, when its people took up a sedentary lifestyle. Social classes began to form, and the common people came to be ruled by an elite. From the artifacts which survive today, we can see that the Olmec were outstanding stone carvers.
根據考古學家拼湊的面貌，他們大約從西元前一千兩百年左右崛起，迥異於先前的聚落生活，開始出現社會分化，由少數菁英階級統治一般大眾。