Olmec culture is believed to have formed around 1500 BC and their earliest known settlement was at San Lorenzo in present-day Veracruz. Several centuries later, they’d form another major city at the site of La Venta, current Tabasco, where they’d continue working on their monumental sculptures.
While many aspects of Olmec culture remain a mystery, their influence on the glorious civilizations that sprang up after them is clear. Simply put, it was the Olmecs who first introduced high culture to Mesoamerica.
For example, they were the first to come up with the Mesoamerican ball game that would be played from northern Mexico to Central America for millennia. And it was even the Olmecs who started pyramid building, with their pyramid at La Venta said to be Mexico’s very first!
In regards to religion, the Olmecs created the first depiction of the ‘Plumed Serpent’ deity, also known as Quetzalcoatl. And early forms of various other Mesoamerican gods can be found in their art as well.
And it was also the Olmecs who would create the intricate calendar system that would be utilized by the Mayans and Aztecs until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.
The Olmecs were especially fond of jaguars, with the feline making frequent appearances in their art. In fact, they commonly depicted humans with jaguar features to denote royalty.
The Olmecs also controlled a vast trade network stretching across much of modern-day Mexico and Central America. And this is how their influence spread so far and wide. But there was one distinctly Olmec tradition that would never be copied by any subsequent civilization.
Today, the Olmecs are best known for their megalithic sculpted heads which likely depicted former rulers. Thus far, 17 heads have been discovered in total, with the heaviest weighing up to 15 tons. Remarkably, the basalt stone used for the sculptures was sourced in the Tuxtla mountain range, a considerable distance from their main settlements.
As we’ll cover below, four Olmec heads were discovered at the site of La Venta, all of which can now be seen in the city of Villahermosa, Tabasco. Other remarkable Olmec artifacts on display here, meanwhile, include large stone altars and even a tomb comprised of basalt columns.
Olmec culture would thrive up until the 1st century AD until it would mysteriously vanish. But their influence can be strongly seen and felt in Mexico even to this day.