Olmec heartland Olmec Metropolitan Zone. The major heartland sites are: Smaller sites include: Important heartland finds not associated with any archaeological site include: Olmec heartland The Olmec heartland is the southern portion of Mexico's Gulf Coast region between the Tuxtla mountains and the Olmec archaeological site of La Venta, extending roughly 80 km (50 mi) inland from the Gulf of Mexico coastline at its deepest. It is today, as it was during the height of the Olmec civilization, a tropical lowland forest environment, crossed by meandering rivers. Most researchers consider the Olmec heartland to be the home of the Olmec culture which
Mayan languages as Tzeltal/Tzotzil "ti' na" "door" (lit. "mouth of house"), or Kaqchikel "chi ru-pam" "inside" (lit. "mouth its-stomach"). A number of loanwords of Mayan or potentially Mayan origins are found in other languages, principally Spanish, English, and some neighboring Mesoamerican languages. In addition, Mayan languages borrowed words, especially from Spanish. A Mayan loanword is "cigar". is Mayan for "tobacco" and means "to smoke tobacco leaves". This is the most likely origin for cigar and thus cigarette. The English word "hurricane", which is a borrowing from the Spanish word is considered to be related to the name of Maya storm deity Jun