Olmec Colossal Heads: The First Civilization of Mesoamerica
Between approximately 1500 and 400 BCE, the Olmec civilization — considered the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica, the earliest complex society in the region — flourished along the Gulf Coast of what is now southern Mexico. They built monumental ceremonial centers, developed the first writing system in the Americas, created the Mesoamerican ballgame, originated the Long Count calendar later adopted by the Maya, and produced what remain the most powerful and enigmatic sculptures of the pre-Columbian world: the colossal heads. Seventeen of these monuments have been found at four sites (San Lorenzo, La Venta, Tres Zapotes, and La Cobata), ranging from 1.5 to 3.4 meters in height and weighing between 6 and 50 tons. Each one is unique — each depicts an individual face of extraordinary psychological presence, wearing a distinctive helmet. The basalt from which they were carved had to be transported up to 150 kilometers overland and by raft from the Tuxtla Mountains, a logistical achi...