The Olmec By Grisel Cano, EdD., and Juan Manuel Galván, ABD Revised Fall 2012 The Olmec (1,800 to 100 BCE) 1
INTRODUCTION Archaeological Patterns Roots Geographical Regions Art/Architecture Sacred spots Socio political level San Lorenzo Early Preclassic -1800 to 1200 BC El Azuzul La Venta 1200 400 BC Juxtlahuaca and Oxtotitlan Tres Zapotes 300 BC The Olmec (1,800 to 100 BCE) Thesis Statement: Like the Mesopotamia en the West, the Olmec are called the Mother Civilization of the Americas. Influenced Maya, Teotihuacan, etc. Between 1800 and 100 B.C. the Olmec held a civilization that extended from the Pacific coast of Guatemala as far as the Panuco River, which Bernal calls the Metropolitan culture. They also established colonies in Morelos, Guerrero, Puebla, and the Valley of Mexico. They were the inventors of most if not all of the advanced culture complexes that gave Mesoamerica its character of a true civilization. The Olmec (1,500 to 100 BCE) 2
ARCHAELOGICAL PATTERNS Ritual human sacrifice appears c. 5200-4800 B.C. Trade in obsidian and other goods Hybrid plants The Olmec (1,500 to 100 BCE) By 1200 B.C., Olmec-type objects common throughout Mesoamerica include mainly clay figurines related to the jaguar cult baby face, pretty woman, and hollow figurines all seeming to be the result of the fusion of an Olmec and a local style. It seems feasible that during the years from 1500 to 1200 BCE the jaguar cult was formed in the Olmec world and was then diffused as a religious idea. Building of cities composed of thousands of people. Cities had urban centers with public buildings, drainage systems, and a ball court. Large formal temples built on earthen mounts. Colosal nine feet high stone heads. Ball game (juego de pelota). Ritualized warfare. Today s football, blood sports. ORIGINS Relative late appearance of domesticated plants C. 1800 BC: Evidence of social hierarchy and cultural elaboration in different parts of Mesoamerica. Culture: Implies an integrated social and political and cultural system. Horizon: For archeologists only implies similar artifacts appearing over a region at about the same time. 1920s. Archeologists identify artifacts as belonging to the Olmec culture. Before that they only identified the Maya in that region. 3
ROOTS Olmeca: Nahuatl term which means rubber people, coded by George Vailant who identified a common denominator in their artifacts Considered the oldest Mesoamerican civilization, the mother of all cultures Pioneer Olmec anthropologists are Matthew Stirling, Michael Coe, David Joralemon This culture was unknown to the conquistadors It was the dominant expression of the Early and Middle Formative periods in Mesoameria (1500-300 BC) 4
Early Olmec Influence Colossal stone heads, first identified in southern Veracruz. Other artifacts identified at San Lorenzo and La Venta. Elites in San Jose Mogote (c. 1350-950 BC) and Tlatilco (c. 1300 BC) seemingly imitated the artistic style of the Olmec. Late 2 nd -Early 1 st Millenia B.C. through Early 1 st Millenia A.D.: a widespread and shared culture of elite display in Mesoamerica: magnetite mirrors from Oaxaca, jade and serpentine from Guatemala, figurines and distinctive fine pottery from Veracruz, etc. Architectural styles, ceramics, ideologies, ceremonies, religion, ceramics, incredibly influential. Shaman Kings with privileged access to the supernatural. 5
The Olmec (1,800 to 100 BCE) The Olmec were also the first Mesoamerican empire; they expanded through a combination of military activity, colonization, commerce, and religious diffusion, setting a precedent for future empires in Mesoamerica. City of La Venta. 9,000 inhabitants c. 900 BC. Tres Zapotes,3,000 inhabitants. San Lorenzo, 2,500. Priests, the ruling class (Theocracy). Also called shaman-kings. A chiefdom level of government with an aristocracy Ceremonial centers supported by farmers who provided corvee labor for public projects (drainage, building, etc). The Long Count which implies knowledge of the zero. Hieroglyphic script (writing). RELIGIOUS IDEAS Shamanism had a great influence in the development of Mesoamerican civilizations The Olmecs lived in a nonrational, noncausal monistic relationship between planetary and other celestial bodies with past lives on one hand, and with everyday relationships and events on the other, through correspondences, identities qnd emanations that are metonymically understood. (in Tate, p. 48) The Olmec World 6
RELIGION They believed in bloodletting The readings of the calendar Shamanism The Jaguar Symbol of power and authority for Olmec and Maya Often chosen as spirit companion for shamans Thought to possess ability to move between worlds since jaguars are comfortable both in the trees and water, hunted both at night and during the day, and sleep in caves (usually associated with deceased ancestors) Olmec transformation carvings show that shamans most likely believed that transformation into a jaguar was possible Olmec transformation carving The jaguar figure They believed that in the past a woman had copulated with a jaguar. From this union, a race or were jaguars emerged. These figures look childish and are sexless. This concept is a key theme of their civilization 7
WERE-JAGUARS 8
WERE-JAGUARS 9
STONE SCULPTURE FOUND AT THE SUMMIT OF THE SAN MARTIN PAJAPAN VOLCANO 10
Colossal Heads Colossal heads between 1.5 and 4 meters tall and weighing from 6 to 40 tons, brought in from more than 50 miles away. Depictions of individual faces, presumably powerful men, rulers. Headdresses indicate they are represented as players in the Mesoamerican ball game. Heads were brought from afar and then buried on the grounds of ceremonial sites. 11
COLOSSAL HEADS 12
Mesoamerican Ball Game (juego de pelota) Mesoamerican ball game. Substitute for war. Metaphor for religious and mythical belief. A form of ritual of worship. 13
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The Wrestler 15
TAMOANCHAN (Land of Rain or Mist) In a certain era Which no one can reckon Which no one can remember Where there was a government for a long time GEOGRAPHICAL AREA THE OLMEC HEARTLAND The Coatzacoalcos River tributaries and lagoons bordered with mangroves Very high annual rainfall Rainforest and savannahs covered the architectural remains before this civilization was discovered Subsistence patterns were a mixture of horticultural systems ART/ARCHITECTURE Their art style is very unique. Many jade and serpentine figurines, masks, statuettes and huge stone heads located in Veracruz and Tabasco, have been found The jaguar figure: They believed that in the past a woman had copulated with a jaguar. From this union, a race or were jaguars emerged. These figures look childish and are sexless. This concept is a key theme of their civilization Table top altars Sculpture of individuals Enormous earthen platforms 16
RECLINING FIGURES 17
FAMILY LIFE? 18
ACROBAT SACRED SITES Isolated shrines where the Olmecs conducted ceremonies, such as hills, springs, etc. One of these is El Manati Many objects have been recovered from this area These objects, some painted in red, have been enveloped in leaves which may point out to their use in ceremonies EL MANATI Situated about 10 miles southeast of San Lorenzo and discovered in 1988. Water logging in the area preserved some Olmec materials from the early Pre-Classic (1600 to 1200 BC). Ponciano Ortiz from the Univ. of Veracruz found 18 baby-faced wooden figures under 20 inches tall which may date back to 1200 BC, as per radiocarbon methods Also some rubber balls were found. 19
LAGUNA DE LOS CERROS Laguna de los Cerros. Contemporary with and probably under the control of San Lorenzo. 1200-900 BC. No colossal heads. But there are pyramids, plazas, outline of Mesoamerican cities. Some of the earliest large scale monumental architecture in the New World. EL AZUZUL Occupies a land ridge called Loma del Zapote A natural hill which the Olmecs transformed into an acropolis by building ridges It was abandoned in 900 BC Arranged sculptures in scenes 20
Monumental Architecture Monumental architecture made of earth, not stone. But the scale is magnificent and influential, would apply the labor of thousands for substantial periods of time. 21
LA VENTA and SAN LORENZO La Venta and San Lorenzo are not large urban centers. They are small ceremonial centers surrounded by a rural population. Probably due to the geography and climate of the area. Ceremonial centers are raised sites surrounded by tropical areas. Olmec farmers grew corn, possibly manioc. Some villages may have exploited the marine resources of the Gulf of Mexico. Relatively small population. Little evidence of the archeological sites. Tropical climates. Very little preservation of archeological evidence. LA VENTA 900 600 BC The power of San Lorenzo passed to La Venta, Tabasco, becoming one of the greatest sites of Olmec civilization. Located on an island on a swamp near the Tonala River. The major feature is a funerary place a clay mound Beautiful effects were obtained by mixing multi colored clays and making geometric designs Olmec sculptures of deformed, two headed and pathologial humans were found They are considered as the greatest Mesoamerican carvers, especially of jade 22
LA VENTA It had numerous earth mounds and plazas The best known feature is the 100 foot high Great Pyramid and Complex A In form, it resembles a volcano, a conical structure with vertical ridges Beneath the mounds and plazas, the Olmecs buried many jade and serpentine figurines and three massive offerings 23
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MASSIVE OFFERINGS Massive offering at La Venta: 50 to 200 tons of serpentine brought some 120 miles away. Deliberately buried as soon as they were constructed. Presumably a deliberate destruction of wealth to show the power of the elites. A display of piety and power. 25
SAN LORENZO-VERACRUZ From 1500 to about 1200 BC, it could have been the most populated settlement in Mesoamerica. Some of the most magnificent sculptures were built during this time without metal tools using basalt from the volcanic Cerro Cintepec in the Tuxtla Mountains Major discoveries were ten colossal heads up to 9 ft 4 in high which weighed many tons. Also figurines of ball players were found tracing this game to the Olmecs Also large basalt blocks with flat tops with niches were found which could be altars or thrones. 26
SAN LORENZO Site discovered by Anthropologist Matthew Stirling. It is the most important site inhabited around 1700 BC perhaps by Mixe- Zoqueans from Soconusco, but by 1500 BC it was Olmec Bones found discovered their diet sources which included mammals, fish, and amphibians. They also grew maize Olmecs constructed 6 artificial terraces, ridges which could have been foundation for palaces SAN LORENZO MONUMENT ALTAR SAN LORENZO COLOSSAL HEADS 27
THE RED PALACE The Red Palace at San Lorenzo was a royal residence with a platform substructure, red floors, basalt roof support, steps and drain. OXTOTITLAN Among the most striking works are the rock paintings at Oxtotitlan, a cave near Chilpancingo, southeast of Mexico City. Olmec paintings dated from 900 to 700 BC are still discernible. They express some of their religious beliefs Oxtotitlan Caves, Guerrero 28
Oxtotitlan Cave Paintings Oxtotitlan Cave Paintings Oxtotitlan Cave Paintings: Artist's rendition of Mural 1, showing a ruler wearing what has been identified as an owl costume, seated on a throne. 29
Oxtotitlan Cave Paintings Oxtotitlan Cave Paintings: An artist's rendition of painting 1-D, showing the outline of a ruler having intercourse with a jaguar. OXTOTITLAN PAINTING Even though they are far from the Olmec sites, rock paintings follow the Olmec style. Picture of a human male having intercourse with a jaguar. This could have been a shrine 30
OLMEC MARKET FALL OF THE OLMEC Evidence points out that they may have destroyed their own settlements for different causes, either death of their rulers or attacks from other groups. RECOGNITION Olmec culture is in no sense primitive. It ought rather be called a classical culture, of great refinement, implying centuries of preparation and development, and which significantly influenced later cultures This great culture which we have encountered in ancient levels, is without a doubt the mother of other cultures, such as the Maya, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec and that of El Tajin. Alfonso Caso at the conference of May 1942 sponsored by the Sociedad Mexicana de Antropologia held in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas. 31
REFERENCES Coe, Michael D. Mexico The Olmec World 32