Olmec head
E856356
An Olmec head is a colossal stone sculpture created by the ancient Olmec civilization of Mesoamerica, characterized by its massive scale and detailed human facial features.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Olmec colossal heads | 1 |
Statements (76)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Mesoamerican artifact
ⓘ
archaeological object ⓘ colossal stone sculpture ⓘ |
| artStyle | Olmec art NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Gulf Coast of Mexico
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Olmec heartland NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| civilization | Olmec civilization NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| country | Mexico ⓘ |
| culture | Olmec civilization NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| currentLocation |
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Museo de Antropología de Xalapa NERFINISHED ⓘ Parque-Museo La Venta, Villahermosa NERFINISHED ⓘ on-site archaeological parks in Veracruz ⓘ |
| discoveryCentury | 19th century ⓘ |
| endTime | c. 400 BCE ⓘ |
| feature |
almond-shaped eyes
ⓘ
broad nose ⓘ downturned mouth ⓘ flat back ⓘ helmet with chin strap ⓘ individualized faces ⓘ monumental scale ⓘ naturalistic facial features ⓘ |
| foundIn |
La Venta
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Laguna de los Cerros NERFINISHED ⓘ San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán NERFINISHED ⓘ Tabasco NERFINISHED ⓘ Tres Zapotes NERFINISHED ⓘ Veracruz NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasPart |
carved chin
ⓘ
cheeks ⓘ earspools ⓘ eyes ⓘ facial features ⓘ flat back surface ⓘ headdress band ⓘ helmet-like headdress ⓘ human face ⓘ lips ⓘ mouth ⓘ nose ⓘ |
| heritageStatus | symbol of Mexican cultural heritage ⓘ |
| iconographicElement |
ear ornaments
ⓘ
headdress motifs ⓘ helmet with possible ballgame association ⓘ |
| interpretation |
guardians of ceremonial centers
ⓘ
portraits of specific rulers ⓘ symbols of political power ⓘ |
| material |
andesite
ⓘ
basalt ⓘ volcanic stone ⓘ |
| notableExample |
La Venta Monument 1
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
San Lorenzo Monument 1 NERFINISHED ⓘ San Lorenzo Monument 2 NERFINISHED ⓘ Tres Zapotes Monument A NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| numberOfKnownExamples | 17 ⓘ |
| quarrySource |
Sierra de los Tuxtlas
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Tuxtla Mountains NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| region | Mesoamerica NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| startTime | c. 1500 BCE ⓘ |
| studiedBy |
archaeologists
ⓘ
art historians ⓘ |
| technique |
pecking and grinding
ⓘ
stone carving ⓘ |
| timePeriod |
Early Formative period
ⓘ
Formative period ⓘ Middle Formative period NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| transport |
overland dragging
ⓘ
raft transport on rivers ⓘ |
| typicalHeight | 1.5–3.4 meters ⓘ |
| typicalWeight | 6–50 tons ⓘ |
| use |
elite representation
ⓘ
political symbolism ⓘ public display ⓘ ritual monument ⓘ ruler portrait ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Olmec colossal heads