Editing Olmecs (section)

==Social and political organization==
Little is directly known about the societal or political structure of Olmec society. Although it is assumed by most researchers that the colossal heads and several other sculptures represent rulers, nothing has been found like the Maya stelae which name specific rulers and provide the dates of their rule.<ref>See, for example, Cyphers (1996), p. 156.</ref>

Instead, archaeologists relied on the data that they had, such as large- and small-scale site surveys. These provided evidence of considerable centralization within the Olmec region, first at San Lorenzo and then at La Venta – no other Olmec sites come close to these in terms of area or in the quantity and quality of architecture and sculpture.<ref>See Santley, et al., p.4, for a discussion of Mesoamerican centralization and decentralization. See Cyphers (1999) for a discussion of the meaning of monument placement.</ref>

This evidence of geographic and demographic centralization leads archaeologists to propose that Olmec society itself was hierarchical, concentrated first at San Lorenzo and then at La Venta, with an elite that was able to use their control over materials such as water and monumental stone to exert command and legitimize their regime.<ref>See Cyphers (1999) for a more detailed discussion.</ref>

Nonetheless, Olmec society is thought to lack many of the institutions of later civilizations, such as a standing army or priestly caste.<ref>Serra Puche et al., p. 36, who argue that "While Olmec art sometimes represents leaders, priests, and possibly soldiers, it is difficult to imagine that such institutions as the army, priest caste, or administrative-political groups were already fully developed by Olmec times." They go on to downplay the possibility of a strong central government.</ref> And there is no evidence that San Lorenzo or La Venta controlled, even during their heyday, all of the Olmec heartland.<ref>Pool, p. 20.</ref> There is some doubt, for example, that La Venta controlled even Arroyo Sonso, only some {{convert|35|km|abbr=on}} away.<ref>Pool, p. 164.</ref> Studies of the Sierra de los Tuxtlas settlements, some {{convert|60|km|mi|round=5|abbr=on}} away, indicate that this area was composed of more or less egalitarian communities outside the control of lowland centers.<ref>Pool, p. 175.</ref>