Between 1400 and 400 B.C. C. the most outstanding period of the Olmec culture in Mesoamerica took place. Around 600 years before, the Neolithic had begun, so that earlier cultures existed in America. However, the Olmecs formed the first civilization on the American continent.
The giant heads are the most characteristic elements of this culture. The discovery of these sculptures was what led us to investigate further to find out who were the creators of these monumental works of art. At first, the remains today considered Olmec, were taken as more Mayan vestiges. It was not until the middle of the 20th century when Marion and Matthew Stirling emerged as the intellectual discoverers of the Olmecs.
The beginning of civilization in America
“Olmec” is a word of Nahuatl origin, the language of the Aztecs. We do not know what they called themselves, so we use the term that the Aztecs gave to the indigenous people of the area: “Olmec”, which means “inhabitant of the country of rubber”, since they extracted rubber from this area to make rubber balls. ritual game that the Aztecs practiced. Specifically, we are talking about the inland vertex of the Gulf of Mexico, between the current states of Veracruz and Tabasco. This is where the Olmec civilization originated.
Although some debate was generated among researchers in this regard, many have considered that the Olmecs were the “mother culture” from which the other Mesoamerican cultures inherited their characteristics. Due to its tropical climate and the geographical area it occupies, with mighty rivers and fertile banks, some have even opted for a more literary definition such as “American Mesopotamia”.
cities and commerce
San Lorenzo is one of the most outstanding archaeological sites for the study of the Olmecs. This enclave was a ceremonial center, where the elite and the most direct relatives lived, the court of the moment. Dozens of giant heads were found in San Lorenzo, where there were lagoons with drainage, as well as the so-called Red Palace, a construction that had stone pipes as water conduits.
The control of water and the work necessary to build a ceremonial city require coordination among a population that did not have stone nearby to build, did not know the wheel, nor did they have draft animals. This need could be the reason why a power and social division arose. In fact, this same thesis was used to explain the origin of power in Mesopotamia. However, it is logical to doubt about which would be the cause and which would be the effect: if the need generated the power, or if the power was what allowed the coordination.
From the year 900 a. C. the key point of the Olmec culture happened to La Venta, a fluvial island of the Tonalá river. In this place the first Mesoamerican pyramid was built, 30 meters high, 130 meters long at the base, built with a clay-based core and reinforced by stone slabs. The study of this site has determined that urban planning can already be glimpsed in this center, with a certain orientation from a central axis.
The rivers served as veritable highways for trade. The Olmecs possessed a highly coveted luxury product: cocoa. This article allowed them some economic efficiency. The hydraulic infrastructure allowed them to cultivate, fish and an active trade by the rivers. Cocoa could be exchanged for stone, a material that was found 70 kilometers from the jungle of the Olmec geography. This economic efficiency needed authority and coordination. And to maintain power, nothing better than religious sanction, the legitimization of authority through beliefs. And in relation to this aspect is when art comes into play.
Great artists
The Olmecs were magnificent artists. The large carved heads represent an artistic milestone in American history. The smallest of those found is 1.5 meters high and weighs 8 tons. The largest reaches 3 meters and 40 tons. Who do they represent?
They are portraits of young people with helmets and large earmuffs, a symbol of dignity at the time. That is why they could be warriors, rulers, ball players, or all three at the same time. It could perfectly well be the circumstance of warrior rulers who participated in rituals of the ball game, in which actions of the gods were represented.
The “mother culture”
In addition to the ball game, this “mother culture” was the precursor of elements of the coming civilizations in Mesoamerica. This is the case of human sacrifices, the use of numbers and the elaboration of calendars. The Olmecs were also pioneers in writing, as evidenced by some hieroglyphs long before the Zapotecs, until recently considered the oldest in America.
The first civilization of America continues to raise more questions than answers despite the good archaeological booty that it has bequeathed to us. Research seems to be the only path to knowledge that allows us to clear up unknowns about the Olmecs.
References:
Alcina, J. 2000. The pre-Columbian cultures of America. Alliance.
Silva, O. 2011. Pre-Hispanic civilizations of America. University of Chile.