cs . ▁▁ ▁Ev idence ▁of ▁Ol m ec ▁civil ization ▁presence ▁in ▁western ▁El ▁Salvador ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁ru in ▁sites ▁of ▁Chal ch u apa ▁in ▁the ▁A hu ach apan ▁department . ▁Ol m ec ▁pet rog lyph s ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁on ▁b ould ers ▁in ▁Chal ch u apa ▁port ray ing ▁Om le c ▁war riors ▁with ▁hel m ets ▁identical ▁to ▁those ▁found ▁on ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁col oss al ▁heads . ▁This ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁once ▁an ▁Ol m ec ▁enc lave , ▁before ▁f ading ▁away ▁for ▁unknown ▁reasons . ▁The ▁Ol m ec s ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁lived ▁in ▁present - day ▁El ▁Salvador ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁BC . ▁The ▁' O lm ec ▁B ould er , ▁' ▁is ▁a ▁sculpt ure ▁of ▁a ▁giant ▁head ▁found ▁near ▁Casa ▁Blan ca , ▁El ▁Salvador ▁site ▁in ▁Las ▁Victor ias ▁near ▁Chal ch u apa . ▁" O lm ec oid " ▁figur ins ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Pot bel ly ▁sculpt ure ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁through ▁this ▁area , ▁in ▁fact ▁most ▁are ▁described ▁as ▁looking ▁prime val ▁proto - O lm ec . ▁▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁con quest , ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁composed ▁of ▁several ▁ind igen ous ▁states ▁of ▁the ▁Post - Class ic ▁stage ▁who ▁resist ed ▁the ▁Europe ans ▁as ▁Central ▁America ▁was ▁rav aged ▁by ▁ep ide m ics