Question

how did olmec civilization differ from maya civilization?
the olmecs were the first culture to live in mesoamerica. the mayas came later and adopted some of the olmecs early practices.
the mayas were the first culture to live in mesoamerica. the olmecs came later and rejected most of the mayas’ early practices.
the olmec civilization declined after a prolonged drought, while the maya civilization continued to flourish into the 1500s.
the maya civilization declined after a prolonged drought, while the olmec civilization declined after years of warfare.

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The Olmecs were indeed the first major Mesoamerican civilization, and the Maya later adopted some of their practices (like calendar systems, religious concepts). This aligns with historical facts.
• Option 2: Incorrect, as the Olmecs preceded the Maya in Mesoamerica.
• Option 3: The Maya civilization declined (not flourished into the 1500s in the same way; their classic period ended earlier, and later Maya states were different). Also, the Olmec decline's cause is not definitively a prolonged drought in the same way as the Maya's later decline.
• Option 4: The Maya's decline was linked to drought, but the Olmec decline's cause is not primarily years of warfare; its decline is more mysterious but not attributed to warfare as a main factor.

Answer:

The Olmecs were the first culture to live in Mesoamerica. The Mayas came later and adopted some of the Olmecs early practices.