THE OLMECS

THE OLMECS

The Olmecs were the first mother culture to develop in the Americas and their origin is somewhat mysterious. (See this video here). Their beginnings are debatable probably around 1500 BC and 500BC seems to be about the end of their period. See other short videos on The Olmecs here and here

Several of these heads along with the whole history of central America are at the wonderful Anthropological Museum in Xalapa

The first head was discovered in 1862 Seventeen heads have been found to date. The stone for them came from the Tuxla Mountains some sixty miles distance away. The heads once were above ground and on display but were ceremonially buried toward the end of the period. What makes things strange is the obvious African looking features of these heads.

Teotihuacan near present day Mexico City is thought to have been also built by them. When it fell the civilization moved to El Tajin mentioned in earlier post.

(Below) What makes things stranger is the obvious Chinese looking features of these small figurines. Elsewhere in the area many elements of Shang Dynasty (1000 BC ) show up in statues. So perhaps influences from at least two directions were the basis of the first civilizations in Central America. Both were fascinated by Jade rather than gold. (Alternative theories video here.)

Below this inscribed stone looks very Chinese.

The next images are from succesive pre Columbian periods of Central American cultures. These are some a fraction of the hundreds to be seen at the Museum.

The current standard timeline of these cultures is thus….

OLMEC– 1200 BC -300 CE

ZAPOTEC-500 B.C. -1000.C.E.

TEOTIHUACAN-100-650 C.E.

MAYA-2000 B.C.-1500c.E. (Three periods)

TOLTEC-900-1526 C.E.

AZTEC-1350-1519 C.E.

For more detail see wikipedia entries here