Among the most important contributions of Mesoamerican cultures are: The writing system: The first to develop a writing system were the Olmecs. They were called “glyphs” and consisted of symbols that represented a concept. The calendar: The first sacred 260-day calendar was created by the Olmecs.
Mesoamerican civilization, the complex of indigenous cultures that developed in parts of Mexico and Central America prior to Spanish exploration and conquest in the 16th century.
Struggles for control of this rich but limited farmland resulted in a dominant landowning class that shaped the first great Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmec. San Lorenzo, the oldest known Olmec centre, dates to about 1150 bce, a time when the rest of Mesoamerica was at best on a Neolithic level.
The cultural development of Mesoamerica is divided into 3 periods: Preclassic: From 1,500 a. Until 300 d. C. Classic: Since 300 d. C. until 950 d. C. Postclassic: From 950 to 1521 AD. C.
Mesoamerican civilizations planted corn, chili, and beans, among others.
The different Mesoamerican peoples developed a wide diversity of languages , it is estimated that there were more than a hundred different languages . Therefore, the writing systems were also very different according to each ethnic group.
The Olmec calendar was adapted by the rest of the Mesoamerican cultures.