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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).
- (CK.0576)
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