Post on 24-Feb-2016
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The Olmec and The Gulf Coast
ANTH 221: Peoples and Cultures of MexicoKimberly Martin, Ph.D.
Culture Heartland in Mexico
Overview of Pre Classic SitesAlso called Formative Sites
The Olmec• Writing• Long Count Calendar• Concept of Zero• Blood Sacrifices (?)• Ceremonial Cities• Monumental Architecture• Possible Inventors of MesoAmerican Ball
Game• Domesticated dogs• Forerunners of MesoAmerican gods• Hugely influential for all cultures that
followed in MesoAmerica
Social Classes• Three to four classes – indicated by
houseforms– Kings with stone houses inside the
monumental architecture zone– Hamlets outside the architectural zone– Farmsteds farther out.
Religion• Feathered Serpent
•Man of Crops
• Werejaguars
Human Sacrifice ?• Stingray spikes and clay instruments
used in blood-letting/sacrifice in later periods are found
• Disarticulated human skeletons may indicate human sacrifice
• Complete skeletons of newborn or unborn children may indicate infant sacrifice
• No direct evidence of sacrifice
Symbols
First writing system in North America - Controversial stone tablet found in 1999http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060914-oldest-writing.html
Cascajal
Block
Long Count Calendar18 20-day months
plus 5 days (Base 20 System)
Stella C Tres Zapotes7-16-6-16-18
corresponds with September 3, 32 BCE
Other glyphs are considered early writing symbols.
Concept of Zero• Used in the Long Count Calendar• May have been first invented in new
world.• Represented by a shell glyph:
http://www.ancientscripts.com/ma_ws.htmlFor More Information
Olmec Heartland
Monumental Architecture• North-South Alignment• Clay and logs with occasional basalt
columns from the Tuxtla Mountains• Colored clays used for floors• Structures “painted” red, yellow and
purple• Mosaic pavements made from
serpentine stone
Major Sites• El Manati• San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan• La Venta• Tres Zapotes
• Early phases egalitarian, hunting and gathering
• Later phases highly stratified with agriculture, ceremonial centers, monumental architecture, writing, calendar.
• Signs of a well developed trade network – Eg. Jade from Guatemala is found throughout Gulf Coase
El Manati• Oldest PreClassic Site on the Gulf Coast• Before 1750 BCE• Bog environment with anaerobic
preservation.• Rubber balls• Wooden Figures• Jadeite axes• Beads• Obsidian blades
El Manati
El Manati
El Manati Figurines
San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan• 1200 BC – 900 BC (Vera Cruz)– Ceremonial center• Perhaps 5000 residents
– Agricultural area • Population of perhaps 10,000- 15,000
– Carved stone drainage system – Ten carved stone heads• Stone from 60 miles away in the Tuxtla Mts.
– Carved stone thrones with names on the sides
La Venta• Island settlement–Vera Cruz and Tobasco
• 1750 BCE Early Occupation–Villages growing maize
• From 1000 BC Olmec Culture–More than 18,000 population–Great Pyramid (30 meters tall)• 800,000 person days to construct
–Giant stone head monuments • Abandoned at about 400 BCE
La Venta
La Venta
La Venta Temple Mound
La Venta Site Plan
La Venta
La Venta
La Venta Heads
Altars/Thrones
LinksBBC Documentary on Stone Sculpture• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp
AdEmR2PW4&feature=related ( video 18 min)
New Olmec Site Discovered• http://news.nationalgeographic.com/
news/2007/01/070126-mexico-olmec.html (article)
Classic and Post-Classic PeriodsClassic Veracruz – El Tajin
• Most important Classic and Post-Classic Veracruz site
• In the northern part of the region• 17 ball courts• Unique architecture and art styles
not found anywhere else in Mesoamerica.
Classic Veracruz
Ball Game Played in I Shaped Court
• Used a hard rubber ballwhich could played only bythe elbow, knee or hip
• 2 teams on either side of acenter line
• To win: team had to pass theball thru the stone ring on thewall of the court the mosttimes
• Losing team (or losing team leader) often sacrificed ?
Mesoamerican Ball Game
Ball Court Sacrifice Carvings
El Tajin Central Zone
Pyramid of the Niches
El TajinEl Tajin Palmas
Carved Yoke Ball Game Attire