Source of the Civilization
The regions of the Pacific, such as the Ocos and Soconusco, were being increasingly brought under South America’s expanding civilization ("Chapter 5," n.d.). Today’s alluvial lowlands such as the states of Nayarit, Colima, Capcha, and Jalisco had appeared as early as 1450BC. One of the striking features in the region was the type of culture whose origins may be traced to the culture of Machalilla- a variant culture of Chorrera, Ecuador.
Mexico’s Gulf Coast States of Tabasco and Veracruz became the setting for artistic and cultural fluorescence among the Olmec people between 1200 and 400 BC. The name is derived from the word Aztec in the region. The art is famous for intricate works in jade as well as the colossal sculpture in volcanic stone.
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The sculptures of the Olmec civilization are one of the most debated and mysterious artifacts from the prehistoric world. However, it is generally agreed that they represent the Olmec rulers due to the cost involved in their creation, as well as their unique physical features. Seventeen heads have been discovered so far ("Olmec Colossal Stone Heads," 2014). Ten of them are from San Lorenzo and four from La Venta; which are the two most critical Olmec centers.
Important Developments in Olmec Civilization
According to Houston, Science corresponding author and ancient writing systems expert, the discovery of the sixty-two signs incised on the serpentine block was the evidence of the new world’s oldest writing ("06-021 (Olmec Writing)," n.d.). The Olmec civilization came up with the form of writing. This was evidenced by the pieces of artifacts unearthed by the road builders in 1999 from an ancient mount in Casjal ("Symbols on the Stone," n.d.). The first civilization in Mesoamerica was the Olmec that was achieved in the whole region of Central America, a place where the pre-Columbian civilizations thrived. The texts which were contained in the stone artifacts contained about 62 signs. Due to their distinct elements, sequencing, and patterns, as well as logical reading order, linguists concluded that the patterns conformed to all the writing expectations.
References
06-021 (Olmec Writing). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-021.html
Author: James Doyle. (n.d.). Olmec Art | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/olmc/hd_olmc.htm
Chapter 5. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~izapa/CS-MM-Chap.%205.htm
Mysterious Jade Artifact May Have Been Offering to Ancient Gods. (2015, March 9). Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/50080-mysterious-jade-artifact-discovered-in-mexico.html
Olmec Colossal Stone Heads. (2014, March 21). Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/article/672/olmec-colossal-stone-heads/
The Symbols on the Stone. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://endeavors.unc.edu/win2009/symbols_on_stone.php
