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The Olmec and The Gulf Coast

The Olmec and The Gulf Coast. ANTH 221: Peoples and Cultures of Mexico Kimberly Martin, Ph.D. Culture Heartland in Mexico. Overview of Pre Classic Sites Also called Formative Sites. The Olmec. Writing Long Count Calendar Concept of Zero Blood Sacrifices (?) Ceremonial Cities

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The Olmec and The Gulf Coast

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  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 SitesAlso 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. Symbols Cascajal Block First writing system in North America - Controversial stone tablet found in 1999 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060914-oldest-writing.html

  9. Long Count Calendar18 20-day months plus 5 days (Base 20 System)Stella CTresZapotes7-16-6-16-18corresponds with September 3, 32 BCEOther 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: http://www.ancientscripts.com/ma_ws.html 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 • TresZapotes • 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- 15,000 • 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

  26. La Venta Heads

  27. Altars/Thrones

  28. Links BBC Documentary on Stone Sculpture • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpAdEmR2PW4&feature=related ( video 18 min) New Olmec Site Discovered • http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070126-mexico-olmec.html (article)

  29. Classic and Post-Classic PeriodsClassic 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.

  30. Classic Veracruz

  31. 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 ?

  32. Mesoamerican Ball Game

  33. Ball Court Sacrifice Carvings

  34. El Tajin Central Zone

  35. Pyramid of the Niches

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

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