Maya and Aztec

Ancient Mesoamerican civilizations

Archives for the ‘Olmec’ Category

Of the Olmec civilization of Mesoamerica

Category: Olmec

Almost all of the world’s earliest civilizations have arisen in river valleys, and the Olmec civilization of Mesoamerica was no exception. The Olmec heartland is a low lying, crescent-shaped area along Mexico’s Gulf Coast, about 200 km long and 100 km broad (at its widest point). Within this compact area is found the vast majority […]



Olmec civilization

Category: Olmec

After the symposium on “Regional Perspectives in Olmec problem” in 1983, the term “Olmec” decided to use a narrow sense: a society and the archaeological culture, which existed on the southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in the II – I millennium BC. The earliest traces of habitation were found in the area of […]



San Lorenzo

Category: Olmec

The first and most ancient capital of Indian America is San Lorenzo (1400-900 years. BC). It is situated on a natural plateau, the slopes of which were modified to create numerous residential terraces. According to archaeologists, it lived up to 5 thousand people. The city is still patronized the almighty god of the jaguar. His […]



La Venta

Category: Olmec

The second ritual center-city of the first level was the Olmecs of La Venta. The town was located a large architectural complex consisting of two churches and a few pyramidal platforms. Ancient settlers have chosen this place as early as 1400 BC, where they erected one of the oldest settlements. La Venta was built with […]



San Andres, Tres Zapotes, Laguna de los Cerros and Las Limas

Category: Olmec

Another ancient settlement – San Andres. Between 1400 and 1150 years. BC flooding occurred here, perhaps, flooding of San Andres, where the higher layer 10 is pure mud. This apparently led to the rise of La Venta. In San Lorenzo, the earliest layers relate to hunt phase (1500-1350 years. BC), Bahio (1350-1250 years. BC) and […]



Olmec art

Category: Olmec

Olmec stone heads are giant basalt boulders weighing 30 tons and having an average circumference of about 7 meters and a height of 2,5 meters. Each head has its own “face” with the view looking out into space. At the head wearing helmets, helmets with chin strap. The first such stone head was discovered by […]



Ancient Olmec Civilization

Category: Olmec

The Olmec culture is one of Mexico’s very oldest pre-Columbian civilizations. It existed from 1400 to 400 BC. These people lived in the swampy lowlands of the Veracruz-Tabasco coast. We do not know their real name but the Aztecs called the area where they lived Olman. In the Aztec language of nahuatl this means “land […]