What do olmec heads represent

All but two heads were composed of basalt boulders from the Tuxtla Sierra mountains which were as far as miles away from where the heads were discovered. The two heads that did not utilize the basalt were the San Lorenzo heads and they were repurposed from earlier stone thrones.

Traces of pigments and plaster on one of the heads suggests that the heads may have been painted at one point. There are numerous theories about the inspirations, motivations, and uses of these Olmec sculptures.

Previous theories had suggested that the heads depicted Olmec gods, athletes, or even early black civilizations due to the heads possessing what appear to be African features. These theories, however, have been abandoned and it is now thought that the heads represent Olmec rulers and that the facial features are not African but rather represent the people who reside in the Mexican Gulf Coast. Some have suggested that the heads were moved around for ritual purposes or that the heads were used to signify political power.

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Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. The Nok were one of the earliest iron-working societies from western Africa, but they are also known for their pottery. Archaeology is the study of the human past using material remains. These remains can be any objects that people created, modified, or used.

A civilization is a complex human society that may have certain characteristics of cultural and technological development. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Olmec Food, Crops, and Diet They planted many of the same crops seen in the region today, such as squash, beans, manioc, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.

Maize was a staple of the Olmec diet, although it is possible that it was introduced late in the development of their culture. What religion did the Olmecs practice? The Olmec had the first representation of the feathered serpent that would show itself in later mesoamerican cultures. Who was the leader of the Olmecs? The Olmec King was usually referred to as Tu. The Olmec term for governor was Ku. Interestingly, some of the Olmec rulers were referred to as the Ku and Tu.

This may suggest that the Olmec civilization may have been organized into a confederation of city-states lead by a recognized emperor. Did the Olmecs practice human sacrifice? The Aztecs were not the first civilization in Mesoamerica to practise human sacrifice as probably it was the Olmec civilization BCE which first began such rituals atop their sacred pyramids.

Other civilizations such as the Maya and Toltecs continued the practice. What was the Olmec architecture like? The Olmecs buildings were simple; rectangular residences for commoners, bigger houses for the elite, as well as public ceremonial buildings such as temples and pyramids. In places such as La Venta, after BCE pyramids and such structures were built near large residential areas.