In contrast, the Olmec civilization flourished much earlier, from about 1200 to 400 BC. They were the first major civilization in Mesoamerica, and they built some of the largest and most impressive monuments of the region. However, the Olmec did not have a written language, and so we have very little information about their history and culture.
Archaeologists have been studying the Olmec civilization for over a century, and they have made great progress in understanding their culture. However, there is still much that we do not know about the Olmec, and we may never know everything about them.