Olmec civilization, which flourished over 3000 years ago in the tropical rain-forests and watery savannahs of Mexico’s southern Gulf lowlands, is acknowledged as the oldest civilization in the America to create monumental art and architecture. They flourished from 1200 B.C.E. to about 400 B.C.E., and then somehow disappeared. In this essay I will talk about the art of the Olmec civilization and magnificence of colossal heads in particular. We will find out who were the people they represent, how many of them were found, the purpose of their existence and of how the setting of this particular artwork influences our perception about it.
Today the Olmec civilization is best known for the creation of colossal heads that were crated in the second millennium B.C. What strikes me the most about the Colossal Heads is the size, how they were made, the tool that were used and how material was delivered without the use of wheels or any modern technology we have today.
In the middle of the Nineteenth Century seventeen Colossal Heads were discovered all over Mexico and Mesoamerica. Four of them were found in La Venta, one in Cabata, ten heads were found in San Lorenzo, and two in Tres Zapotez. The heads are truly massive, ranging from almost 5 feet to 11 feet in height, and weighing many tons. The stone that the heads are carved out of is basalt, a volcanic stone, a stone that is born from fire that was extracted in boulders weighing thousands of pounds. Some were transported from Tuxtla Mountains; some from Cerro Cintepec; others from San Martin Volcano. It has been estimated that moving a colossal head required the efforts of 1,500 people for three to four months. No iron or copper has been found in the area, so these heads were most likely carved with stone, sand and water (with techniques unknown today) which most likely was incredibly time consuming. Basalt rock is very hard to work even with the modern technology we have today. Considering the size of the stone, it’s weight, the distance from the source to the villages and the amount of man power it required in order to be moved, makes one wonder about the significance of people whose heads were carved of.
Some scholars believe these sculptures to be head portraits that memorialized rulers and therefore constitute the first royal portraits of ancient Mexico. Each portrait is distinguished by size, expression, and personal adornment. Their gigantic scale asserts the ruler’s power and authority, but their expressive faces are realistic portraits of specific individuals. All of the portrait heads wear helmet-like headgear, each of which bears distinctive motifs that may have identified the portrayed ruler. The helmet on Colossal Head sculpture (number 5) from San Lorenzo displays typical elements found on other San Lorenzo portrait heads, such as the horizontal band topped by a woven motif with circular forms. The woven-mat design is used to symbolize royalty, and the three-toed bird feet or feline paws, each with a talon, may represent the figure’s name or lineage. While the front of the sculpture shows the rounded face of a ruler, the back of it is flat and polished, suggesting its former use as a throne. Monolithic carved thrones and colossal portrait heads publicly proclaimed the ruler’s importance and authority, which were also expressed through specific regalia emphasizing the ruler’s ability to ensure prosperity for his community. Many Olmec heads had the symbol of the jaguar in different headpieces. Olmecs believed that the jaguar was the living and the dead.
Almost all of the colossal heads bear the same features, flattened nose, full lips, and capping headpiece. These characteristics have caused some debate due to their apparent resemblance to African facial characteristics. Based on this comparison, some have insisted that the Olmecs were Africans who had immigrated to Mesoamerica long ago. However, claims of pre-Columbian contacts with Africa are rejected by the majority of archeologists and other Mesoamerican scholars. Some of the heads, and many other monuments, have been variously mutilated, buried and disinterred, reset in new locations and/or reburied. It is known that some monuments, and at least two heads, were recycled or re-carved, but it is not known whether this was simply due to the scarcity of stone or whether these actions had ritual or other implications. It is also suspected that some mutilation had significance beyond mere destruction. These deliberate alterations may have been performed after the reign of the ruler to diminish his powers. Explanations for the facial features of the colossal heads include possibility that the heads were carved in this manner due to the shallow space allowed on the basalt boulders. Others note that in addition to the broad noses and thick lips, the heads have the Asian eye-fold, and that all these characteristics can still be found in modern Mesoamerican Indians.
Today, we view these colossal heads indoors, in a museum setting, with dimmed lighting, standing on a platform surrounded by plain, empty walls and other museum artifacts. To some it may be just another piece of art from 3,000 years ago discovered somewhere in Mexico, as an enormous rock with someone’s face carved into it. However, when these monuments were made, viewers probably saw the heads in bright sunshine or rain, surrounded by the greenery of jungles and the sounds of wild life.
This type of monument marks the beginning of a tradition of honoring the ruler and his figural representation. Rulers were represented in large cities throughout Mesoamerica. Their feats were recorded and their lineages were associated with patron deities. The power of the ruler was legitimized by both ancestral and sacred authority, a concept that seems to be the principal message of the Olmec monoliths. Olmec people were probably looking at these sculptures with a different perspective then we do today. Olmec heads may have been the portraits of their rulers, someone whom they adored, whom they believed to be as mighty as their gods. Also, these monuments might have been made for ritual purposes, they might have been head portraits of those rulers that passed away, like a memorial. Maybe it was a way they were remembered after their death, like a photograph we keep today of our loved ones who have passed away and of those who are still alive.
Leaving behind a mysterious history and an advanced civilization, the Olmecs have literally carved their place in history. It’s been more than 3,000 years since the early inhabitants of Mexico created their first monumental sculptures deep in the heart of North America’s jungles and their art still remains a mystery for us all.
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