There are no written records of Olmec commerce, beliefs, or customs but it appears they were not economically confined. In fact, Olmec artifacts have been found across Mesoamerica, indicating that there were extensive trade routes.

The Great Pyramid in La Venta, Tabasco

Remains of the last capital of the Olmec society, La Venta, include this religious site where elites most likely performed rituals.

The Olmec period saw a significant increase in the length of trade routes, the variety of goods, and the sources of traded items. Trading helped the Olmec build their urban centres of San Lorenzo and La Venta. However, these cities were used mostly for ceremonial purposes; most people lived in small villages. Individual homes had a lean-to and a storage pit nearby. They also likely had gardens, in which the Olmec would grow medicinal herbs and small crops, like sunflowers.

Most agriculture took place outside of the villages in fields cleared using slash-and-burn techniques. The Olmec likely grew crops such as:

• Maize 
• Beans 
• Squash 
• Manioc 
• Sweet potatoes 
• Cotton

Below is an illustration of the manioc plant and its tuber which was grown by the Olmec. This plant is also called cassava and it is the plant from which tapioca is made. 

photo source academia.edu

text: Boundless. “The Olmec.” Boundless World History I: Ancient Civilizations-Enlightenment.