1. The Olmec and The Gulf Coast
ANTH 221: Peoples and Cultures of Mexico
Kimberly Martin, Ph.D.

2. Culture Heartland in Mexico

3. Overview of Pre Classic Sites Also called Formative Sites

4. 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

5. 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.

6. Religion
Feathered Serpent
Man of Crops
Werejaguars

7. 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

8. Symbo l s Cascajal Block
First writing system in North America - Controversial stone tablet found in 1999

9. Long Count Calendar day months plus 5 days (Base 20 System) Stella C Tres Zapotes corresponds with September 3, 32 BCE Other glyphs are considered early writing symbols.

10. Concept of Zero Used in the Long Count Calendar
May have been first invented in new world.
Represented by a shell glyph:
For More Information

11. Olmec Heartland

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. El Manati

16. El Manati

17. El Manati Figurines

18. San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan
1200 BC – 900 BC (Vera Cruz)
Ceremonial center
Perhaps 5000 residents
Agricultural area
Population of perhaps 10, ,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

19. 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

20. La Venta

21. La Venta

22. La Venta Temple Mound

23. La Venta Site Plan

24. La Venta

25. La Venta

27. La Venta Heads

28. Altars/Thrones

29. Links BBC Documentary on Stone Sculpture
( video 50 min)
New Olmec Site Discovered
(article)

30. Classic and Post-Classic Periods Classic 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.

31. Classic Veracruz

32. Ball Game Played in I Shaped Court
Used a hard rubber ball
which could played only by
the elbow, knee or hip
2 teams on either side of a
center line
To win: team had to pass the
ball thru the stone ring on the
wall of the court the most
times
Losing team (or losing team leader) often sacrificed ?

33. Mesoamerican Ball Game

34. Ball Court Sacrifice Carvings

35. El Tajin Central Zone

36. Pyramid of the Niches

37. El Tajin
El Tajin Palmas
Carved Yoke
Ball Game Attire