Question

The Olmec people

constructed giant stone monuments.
built pyramids out of blocks of stone.
developed a writing system with pictographs.
created a system of numbers that included zero.

Answer 1

Here’s a quick true/false with brief explanations:

- Constructed giant stone monuments. — True. The Olmec are famous for colossal stone heads and other large sculptures at sites like San Lorenzo and La Venta.

- Built pyramids out of blocks of stone. — False. They built large earthen mounds and platform/pyramid-shaped constructions, but not the dressed-stone block pyramids later seen with the Maya.

- Developed a writing system with pictographs. — Probably true. There is evidence (for example the Cascajal Block and other signs) suggesting an early pictographic/graphic script associated with the Olmec, though debate continues about its extent and interpretation.

- Created a system of numbers that included zero. — False (as far as current evidence). There’s no clear evidence the Olmec used a positional zero; the full vigesimal system with a zero is best documented later among the Maya.