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The Olmecs are generally considered to be the
ultimate ancestor of all subsequent
Mesoamerican civilisations. Thriving between
about 1200 and 400 BC, their base was the
tropical lowlands of south central Mexico, an
area characterized by swamps punctuated by low
hill ridges and volcanoes. Here the Olmecs
practiced advanced farming techniques and
constructed permanent settlements, including
San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, La Venta, Tres
Zapotes, Laguna de los Cerros, and La Mojarra.
However, the consolidation of their city-states
led to notable cultural influence far beyond their
heartland, and throughout the Mesoamerican
region. This was confirmed in 2005 with the use
of NAA (Neutron Activation Analysis) and
petrography to demonstrate the spread of Olmec
ceramic vessels. It would appear that the Olmec
style became synonymous with elite status in
other (predominantly highland) groups, with
evidence for exchange of artefacts in both
directions. A non-literate group, the Olmecs
nevertheless paved the way for the development
of writing systems in the loosely defined Epi-
Olmec period (c. 500 BC). Further innovations
include arguably the first use of the zero, so
instrumental in the Maya long count vigesimal
calendrical system. They also appear to have
been the originators of the famous
Mesoamerican ballgame so prevalent among later
cultures in the region, and either retained or
invented several religious symbols such as the
feathered serpent and the rain spirit, which
persisted in subsequent and related cultures
until the middle ages.
Comparatively little is known of their magico-
religious world, although the clues that we have
are tantalising. The art forms for which the
Olmecs are best known, the monumental stone
heads weighing up to forty tons, are generally
assumed to pertain to some form of kingly leader
or possibly an ancestor. The smaller jade figures
and celts of which this is one are believed to be
domestically or institutionally based totems or
divinities. The quality of production is
astonishing, particularly if one considers the
technology available for production, the early
date of the pieces, and the dearth of earlier
works upon which the Olmec sculptors could
draw. Some pieces are highly stylised, while
others demonstrate striking naturalism with
interpretation of some facial features (notably
down-turned mouths and slit eyes) that can be
clearly seen in the current figure.
- (PF.1904)
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