Giant stone headgear of the Olmec civilization
Giant stone headgear of the Olmec civilization
The Olmec civilization's massive carved basalt sculptures are believed to represent past leaders The earliest and most important civilization in Mesoamerica was centered in major cities such as San Lorenzo La Venta and Tres Zapotes in the tropical lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico in the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco Olmec monuments and their exquisite beauty laid the foundation for many later civilizations The modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco are renowned for their large basalt sculptures
Olmec Ceramic Dog / Olmec and Gulf Coast Gallery, INAH, National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City.
Pre-Olmec culture flourished around 2500 BC and it is speculated that the Olmecs developed in part from the neighboring Mocayá culture which predates the Olmec culture Olmec culture first fully emerged in San Lorenzo Tenoctitlan where Olmec characteristics began to emerge around 1400 BC. The local ecological environment characterized by abundant alluvial soils and abundant water allowed the Olmecs to develop an extensive trade network extending southeastward to parts of Central America The Olmec influence extended to the Maya and Aztecs The Olmec civilization also played a significant role in laying the cultural religious and social foundations of other civilizations
Olmec Contortionist, Veracruz, 1200-600 BC
Stone tablets bearing what appear to be Olmec writing sometimes called Epi-Olmec or Isthmian were discovered in the village of Cascajal near San Lorenzo The first evidence of their distinctive artistic style dates back to around 1200 BC including some of the colossal carved heads mentioned above This site is characterized by numerous stone monuments Olmec culture was first defined by its artistic style and this remains a key characteristic of this culture In 1871 the first of 11 colossal Olmec stone heads was discovered in Tres Zapotes Veracruz These heads stood 9 feet tall and weighed an average of more than 30 tons The abundance of Olmec artwork the power of its art suggests that the Olmec civilization was complex and uneven Their cultural influence extended northwest into the Valley of Mexico
Olmec Colossal Head, San Lorenzo, Veracruz, 1200-600 BC
The Olmec also practiced ritual bloodletting and played ball games in Mesoamerica The most well-known Olmec society is the central area of the Gulf of Mexico where the civilization expanded after its initial development This area is characterized by marshy lowlands interspersed with low hills ridges and volcanoes Rising north along the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico this enormous hooded head is the most recognizable feature of the Olmec civilization Since no pre-Columbian texts clearly describe these heads this remarkable sculpture remains the subject of much interpretation and speculation to this day
