In some wild regions of Mesoamerica we can find large stone monoliths representing human heads . This archaeological discovery belongs to the Stone Age and its people are known as Olmec. Olmeca
Along with the Aztecs and Mayans, the Olmecs form part of the indigenous peoples who inhabited the current territory of Mexico during the pre-Columbian period . This territory that includes the states of Tabasco and Veracruz was home to the ancient Olmecs (the oldest civilization of the Mesoamerican peoples).
What is known about the Olmecs
Currently, 17 Olmec monoliths in the form of heads are preserved. The biggest head is over three meters in height and each one has a different face.
The capital of the Olmecs was located in the current archaeological zone of San Lorenzo, in the southeast of the state of Veracruz. It is estimated that in San Lorenzo lived approximately 5500 people. Archaeologists believe that this people developed their culture between 1500 and 900 BC Olmeca
Olmec monuments remain semi-hidden in the wilderness and are not as visible as the archaeological remains of other civilizations.
With the suspicion of being able to find more archaeological remains of the Olmec territory , it was possible to bring more data about this people.
According to archaeologists, the stone heads (which are still talked about today) had a funeral meaning of high symbolism. Some archaeologists believe that the Olmecs’ preference for basaltic rock is due to its volcanic origin. Volcanoes represent the power of the Earth, although other explanations claim that the Olmec gods lived beneath volcanoes and hence their predilection for basalt stones. Olmeca
Regarding the daily life of the Olmec very little is known
From scant evidence, it is believed that they decorated figurines with tar and paint. The elaborated products allowed their commercialization with other peoples. Analyzing the land they inhabited, it can be deduced that they lived in houses built with basalt stone, from which they obtained from territories located more than fifty kilometers away. This feat addresses several questions, especially two: how they transported these giant stones and how they sculpted them. Olmeca
Because it is wild territory and with plenty of water, the Olmecs had no subsistence problems. In addition, there is evidence that they cultivate corn and worship the jaguar because it is an animal that symbolizes the strength of nature.
