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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 maskette.
- (CK.0779)
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