Olmec Spec

Listing Results Olmec Spec

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Olmec?

  Derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word “OLMECatl”, which means “inhabitant of the rubber country”, OLMEC is a reference to the rubber production in the area where many of the artifacts have been found. There are several OLMEC sites thought to be important centers of activity, of which San Lorenzo and La Venta are the most significant.

• Did the Olmecs have a written language?

  Inscriptions found on ancient monuments in parts of Mexico show that the script used by the ancient OLMECs was identical to that used by the ancient and modern Mende-speaking peoples of West Africa.

• What are the characteristics of the Olmec heartland?

  The OLMEC heartland is the area in the Gulf lowlands where it expanded after early development in Soconusco, Veracruz. This area is characterized by swampy lowlands punctuated by low hills, ridges, and volcanoes. The Sierra de los Tuxtlas rises sharply in the north, along the Gulf of Mexico's Bay of Campeche.

• How big are the Olmec heads?

  The heads range in size from the Rancho La Cobata head, at 3.4 m (11 ft) high, to the pair at Tres Zapotes, at 1.47 m (4 ft 10 in). Scholars calculate that the largest heads weigh between 25 and 55 tonnes (28 and 61 short tons). One of the mosaics from the La Venta OLMEC site.

• What was the Olmec civilization like?

  Living around the Gulf of Mexico for nearly 1,000 years, the OLMEC civilization was a major influence on the region up until 300 BC. They are often considered the first ordered civilization in the Americas and are thought to have even influenced the Mayans and the Aztecs. One city is estimated to have been the home to 13,000 people at minimum.

• When did the Olmecs live in Mexico?

  OLMEC jadeite mask 1000–600 BCE. The OLMECs (/ˈɒlmɛks, ˈoʊl-/) were the earliest known major civilization in Mesoamerica following a progressive development in Soconusco. They lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the present-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco.

• What is the most important Olmec site?

  Many thrones, colossal heads, and other major pieces of OLMEC art have been found at La Venta. Complex A, a religious complex located in the royal compound at La Venta, is one of the most important ancient OLMEC sites. The ancient OLMEC had a rich culture.

• What did the Olmecs do with their sculptures?

  OLMECs were known to often bury their sculptures including large ones as a ritual act of memory. The OLMECs influenced civilizations across Mesoamerica, particularly in sculpture. Also many OLMEC gods reappear in the later civilization in a similar manner such as the sky-dragon and the feathered-snake God.