Olmec influence on later Mesoamerican societies

The Olmec civilization, often considered the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica, greatly influenced later societies like the Maya and Aztecs through their ideas, art, and religion. They introduced key concepts such as complex hierarchies, ceremonial practices, and monumental stone carvings like colossal heads. Olmec symbolism, including jaguar motifs and calendar systems, was adopted and adapted by subsequent cultures. Their advances laid foundational cultural and spiritual frameworks that shaped political organization, religious rituals, and artistic expression across Mesoamerican civilizations for centuries.