Which achievements are credited to the Olmec civilization?

• A. Inventing the long-count calendar, developing a writing system, and remarkable stone carvings
• B. Building the Great Wall
• C. Creating the Mayan numerals only
• D. Discovering iron smelting

Answer: (A)

The Olmec are known for laying the groundwork of complex culture in Mesoamerica through monumental sculpture, early symbolic markings that point to a writing-like system, and ideas about timekeeping that influenced later civilizations. That combination—a calendar concept such as the long-count, a developing writing system, and remarkable stone carvings—best fits what archaeologists attribute to the Olmec, making them stand out as early innovators in the region. In contrast, the Great Wall is a Chinese project, Maya numerals belong to the Maya civilization that followed, and iron smelting is a later technology not associated with the Olmec era.