Dating from 1400 to 300 BC, the Olmecs were the first Mesoamerican culture. He took a group of men into the jungle and when they reached the area they had been told about they dug a trench, thus discovering one of the most famous artifacts ever found in Central America. The stone heads that remain at Olmec provide snap shots of the Kemet-Nubians that sailed from the Nile valley region from the horn of Africa to not only Europe and Asia, but to the Americas before the Christian-era. Olmec Giant Heads: Colossal Heads of the Olmec Civilization. It stands about 10 feet tall and weighs an estimated 40 tons. The Colossal Heads of the Olmec. If the heads had any religious significance to the Olmec, it has been lost to time, although many modern researchers say they think that the ruling class might have claimed a link to their gods. Minster, Christopher. This area is now inhabited by the descendants of European settlers and African slaves who arrived just 500 years ago. Their sphere of influence was along Mexico's Gulf Coast -- particularly in the present-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco -- and major Olmec cities included San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Tres Zapotes. Another mystery is that two of the heads have been recarved, but it is unknown whether it had ritual implications or if it was due to a lack of stone. Most impressive are the huge stone heads with African features found in three different areas of the ancient Olmec heartland--now Mexico--which flourished between 1500 B.C. The sheer size of the stones causes a great deal of speculation on how the Olmecs were able to move them. These sculptures have been found at a handful of archaeological sites, including La Venta and San Lorenzo. Nevertheless, the most striking examples of Olmec art are the colossal heads. Morley, Brainerd and Sharer (1989) said that Monte Alban was a colonial Olmec center (p.12). The first and most widely accepted is that the Olmec carved the heads of their rulers or great warriors. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-colossal-heads-of-the-olmec-2136318. They used the Mende script to write and they spoke the Mende language, the same language spoken by … At the site are the partially excavated ruins of an Olmec city which thrived from approximately 900-400 B.C. The Olmecs Were Related To Blacks Of The Mende Group Of West Africa The Olmecs carved about twenty-two collosal stone heads in the southern parts of Mexico and their influence have been found in Guatemala and further south. Once the heads were ready, they were moved into position, although it is possible that they were occasionally moved around to create scenes along with other Olmec sculptures. BPC 2012 OLMEC: VOYAGERS OF THE NILE TOUR! Stirling and Weiant’s discovery ushered in a shift in how archeologists thought about pre-Columbian civilizations. Seventeen Olmec colossal heads have been found: 10 at San Lorenzo, four at La Venta, two at Tres Zapotes and one at La Cobata. Here they discovered several of the oldest stone tablets found in Central America, as well as a religious figurine and fifteen U-shaped sculptures. (1) Images of the La Venta Heads. Andean and Chavín civilizations. The San Lorenzo heads were almost certainly all completed before 900 B.C. See more ideas about black history, history, ancient history. They additionally contend that epigraphical, genetic, and osteological evidence supports their claims. The famous Olmec Heads weighing between 20 to 40 tons and reaching up to three meters in height. The thick lips, flat faces and broad noses are characteristically African features and some scholars believe that the Olmecs had been Africans that had migrated to the New World, however, this theory has been rejected by most archeologists. They weighed eight to twelve tons making the original basalt boulders as much as 18 tons. Pre-contact Americas. San Lorenzo Head (10) is located at San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán Community Museum while San Lorenzo Heads (2) and (6) are at Mexico City’s National Anthropology Museum. To grow up African American in the United States you learn at an early age that you are a descendant of slaves. There are two main theories on whom these heads represent. But cave paintings found here provided the first clue to the African looking people who we now call Olmec. To date, 17 colossal Olmec heads have been discovered in various locations associated with the ancient Olmec civilisations; ten (thought to be the oldest) were found in San Lorenzo, Veracruz, four in La Venta, Tabasco, two in Tres Zapotes, Veracruz and one in La Cobata. As for the Olmec themselves, recent work indicates that they were descended directly from people who had inhabited the area as early a 1700BC. In many parts of the Americas today, there are … Colossal heads found buried in the former Olmec cradle of civilization raise interesting questions about the culture and technological capacity of the Olmec people. Posted by newafrikan77 in Uncategorized. Before the discovery the Olmec civilization was completely unknown to historians and archeologists. La Venta is a very important Olmec site and many interesting and significant artifacts have been found there, including four of the famous Olmec colossal heads. Since they were first found, the features of the heads have caused a fierce debate between archeologists. The main belief among archeologists is that they were carved this way due to the shallow space allowed on the boulders. The Olmec colossal heads are important historically and culturally to modern Mexicans. Ancient Americas. However, due to the helmets, it was long thought that they represented the heads of decapitated ball players (the penalty of defeat in most Mesoamerican ball games was beheading). The heads were each carved from a single basalt boulder which in some cases were transported 100 km or more to their final destination, presumably using huge balsa river rafts wherever possible and log rollers on land. The view was espoused in the early 20th centur… Once the stones reached a workshop, they were carved using only crude tools such as stone hammers. Celts, Figurines and Masks There are several examples of monumental Olmec arts like the huge colossal heads and statues. Inca Mythology: The Realms of Hanan Pacha, Kay Pacha & Uku Pacha, Inca Cloth: Weaving Grades of Ancient Peruvian Textiles. The heads of Easter Island, Mt. This is the currently selected item. The exact meaning of the colossal heads has been lost to time, but over the years there have been several theories. The Olmec. The Olmec were extremely talented artists, and their most lasting artistic contribution is without a doubt the enormous sculpted heads they created. The idea was first suggested by José Melgar, who discovered the first colossal head at Hueyapan (now Tres Zapotes) in 1862 and subsequently published two papers that attributed this head to a "Negro race." Seventeen Olmec colossal heads have been found: 10 at San Lorenzo, four at La Venta, two at Tres Zapotes and one at La Cobata. He is for the African cause and reckons Africa shall regain its rightful place in world affairs soon. Originally thought to depict gods or ballplayers, most archaeologists now say they believe they are likenesses of long-dead Olmec rulers. The name Olmec was actually invented by scholars. For the next four months they battled swamps, continual rain, tarantulas, snakes and insects as they thoroughly searched a two-mile stretch of land. Since they were first found, the features of the heads have caused a fierce debate between archeologists. It is almost impossible to pinpoint the exact dates when the colossal heads were made. Christopher Minster, Ph.D., is a professor at the ​Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. Sites containing traces of the Olmec civilization are found mainly on the southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, specifically in the states of Veracruz and Tabasco. This process was so difficult that there are several examples of pieces being carved from earlier works; two of the San Lorenzo heads were carved out of an earlier throne. Each sculpture--11 in all--stands six to nine feet, weighs up to 40 tons and has been carbon dated to at least 700 B.C. Wiercinski found African skeletons at the Olmec sites of Monte Alban, Cerro de las Mesas and Tlatilco. Derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word “Olmecatl”, which means “inhabitant of the rubber country”, Olmec … Their sheer size and majesty immediately suggest that they represent gods, but this theory has been discounted because in general, Mesoamerican gods are depicted as more gruesome than humans, and the faces are obviously human. The major basalt quarry for the colossal heads at La Venta was found at Cerro Cintepec in the Tuxtla Mountains, over 80 km away. The Olmec culture developed cities -- defined as population centers with political and cultural significance and influence -- as early as 1200 B.C. Others are even more difficult to date; the one at La Cobata might be unfinished, and the ones at Tres Zapotes were removed from their original locations before their historical context could be documented. The helmet/headdress worn by each of the heads suggests ballplayers, but most archaeologists today say they think they represented rulers. ... an Olmec head was found. The creation of these heads was a significant undertaking. because the city went into steep decline at that time. Practice: Ancient Mesoamerica. Practice: Ancient Andes. To put that into perspective, the Olmecs were building great cities and pyramids before both the founding of Rome and the building of the pyramids in Egypt. Several of the heads are taller than an average adult human male. The Olmec civilization developed in the lowlands of southeastern Mexico between 1500 and 400 BC. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/the-colossal-heads-of-the-olmec-2136318. Some writers claim that the Olmecs were related to peoples of Africa - based primarily on their interpretation of facial features of Olmec statues. Wiercinski found African skeletons at the Olmec sites of Monte Alban, Cerro de las Mesas and Tlatilco. Seventeen heads have been discovered to date, 10 of which are from San Lorenzo and 4 from La Venta; two of the most important Olmec centres. The Olmec did not have metal tools, which makes the sculptures all the more remarkable. Worldhistory.us - For those who want to understand the History, not just to read it. ≈ 1 Comment. Archaeologists suggest a laborious process of slowly moving the stones, using a  combination of raw manpower, sledges and, when possible, rafts on rivers. It was named La Cabeza Colosal (the Giant Head) and stood more than six feet high. (2020, August 28). The Olmec left behind many stone carvings that include reliefs, thrones, and statues. This makes the most sense considering other Olmec sculptures, particularly the Jade face masks, have characteristics that most closely resemble people from Asia. Some traces of plaster and pigments on one of the San Lorenzo heads indicate that they may have once been painted. Stirling intended on exploring it and asked Strong if he knew anyone with knowledge of the area. Sort by: Top Voted. Since then they have continued to find evidence of how the earliest Mesoamerican people lived. What is known about archaeological cultures is based on artifacts, rather than texts. This trading system allowed them to share innovations like writing, human sacrifice, the calendar, the Mesoamerican ball game and the use of a bar and dot system of counting to the civilizations that they encountered such as the Mayans and the Aztec. Olmec head found in a land cleared for farming in Mexico. The Olmec civilization, which was of African origin and dominated by Africans, was the first significant civilization in Mesoamerica and the Mother Culture of … Not only do the colossal Olmec stone heads resemble Black Africans from the Ghana area, but the ancient religious practices of the Olmec priests was similar to that of the West Africans, which … Xalapa’s Anthropology Museum houses the remaining San Lorenzo sculptures. Their greatest value today, however, is probably artistic. We have Ancient DNA samples from South Mexico (the source of not just Olmec but also Mesoamerican civilization) that show no connection to Africa (notable since Tobasco’s farming cultures that the Olmec Culture derived from date to about 5000 BCE while the South Mexican samples date from 7400 BCE to 9300 BCE). Pre-contact Americas. The Olmec. Descendants of Ancient Africans in Recent America. Weiant joined Stirling’s expedition at the age of forty-one having stumbled upon archeology after years as a chiropractor. The largest colossal head was discovered at La Cobata. Minster, Christopher. Diehl and Coe (1996) admitted that the inspiration of Olmec Horizon A, common to San Lorenzo's iniitial phase has been found at Tlatilco. Human innovation and the environment. Whoever they were, no two heads are the same and the helmets are adorned with distinctive elements, suggesting group or personal symbols. ThoughtCo. There is also a handful of surviving wooden busts and some cave paintings in nearby mountains. Given the physical features of the Olmec head, Serrano was sure that it was the depiction of an African. That particular statuette is about twelve inches tall and the distance from the head to the chin is about 17 centemeters. 11 Friday Dec 2015. The basalt boulders and blocks used to carve the heads were located as much as 50 miles away. The main belief among archeologists is that they were carved this way due to the shallow space allowed on the boulders. Morley, Brainerd and Sharer (1989) said that Monte Alban was a colonial Olmec center (p.12). Stela 5, Izapa, was found in about 1939 at the ruined city called Izapa in southern Mexico. The basalt boulders and blocks used to carve the heads were located as much as 50 miles away. Matthew Stirling, the head of the Smithsonian’s Bureau of American Ethnology in 1938, was studying sites in Mexico where prehistoric factions had met. This life-sized greenstone head was found at Tenango del Valle, Mexico State, surprisingly a distance west from the Olmec heartland of Veracruz and Tabasco. According to studies and research conducted by Clyde Winters, the Olmecs were Africans from the Mandinka region of West Africa. The thick lips, flat faces and broad noses are characteristically African features and some scholars believe that the Olmecs had been Africans that had migrated to the New World, however, this theory has been rejected by most archeologists. The sculptures are truly amazing and inspirational and a popular attraction at the museums where they are housed. The Olmec's colossal sculpted heads show the head and face of a helmeted man with distinctly indigenous features. Seeing as the area was undeveloped, no one had specialized knowledge but Strong recommended Clarence Wolsey Weiant, a grad student who was hoping to make Tres Zapota his doctoral field work. Influence of the Olmec Civilization on Mesoamerica, Tres Zapotes (Mexico) - Olmec Capital City in Veracruz, The Olmec Capital of La Venta - History and Archaeology. No iron or copper has been found in the area so they were most likely carved with stone tools which would have been incredibly time consuming. By 400 B.C. Their beauty is such that several replicas have been made and can be seen around the world. The site is at Serra Da Capivara in remote northeast Brazil. The olmec ciliziation were black, There were black Tamils / black Africans were there, and Olmec Civilizations nose was big, The Black Tamils were too big, If Black African gone from Africa to South America / Central America, they should land in Brazil or Argentina, but Olmec civilisation lived in America and Mexico. Pre-Hispanic Olmec stone altar in the La Venta archaeological park in Villahermosa, Mexico. The Olmec civilization, which thrived along Mexico's Gulf Coast from about 1200 to 400 B.C., was the first major Mesoamerican culture. The Olmec Basalt Rock Figures that have been found demonstrate clear Black African features and cultural traits like cornrow hairstyles, braids and kinky hair connecting the Olmecs to West Africa and the Egypt/Sudan region. and 600 B.C. Additionally, the Olmec heads are not an entirely unique phenomenon. The Olmec culture is thought to have ended around 400 B.C. The African hairline is clearly visible on a fine stone head from Veracruz Mexico, carved between 600 B.C. The heads have taught researchers much about the culture of the ancient Olmec. These Olmec inhabited southern Mexico, and are regarded as the Mother Culture of the Americas – that is to say, the later Amerindian cultures and technology of the Americas, descend from Olmec culture and technology. The heads are carved out of single blocks of volcanic basalt from the Tuxtlas Mountains and range from 1.47m to 3.4m high. Most of them are in regional museums close to where they were found, while two are in Mexico City. The Olmec heads have been shrouded in mystery since the first one was found in 1858. Email. Part of the evidence for this is the fact that each of the faces has a distinct look and personality, suggesting individuals of great power and importance. They inhabited the lowland coast of the Gulf of Mexico (in what is now the states of Veracruz and Tabasco), however, they developed a trading network that spread from the Valley of Mexico in the north to Central America in the south.
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