The Forgotten Olmecs

   The Olmecs were once a thriving civilization for a long time in Mesoamerica. Nowadays, there are a limited number of artifacts preserved that were left behind. It is unclear what happened that caused the downfall disappearance of the Olmecs. In the YouTube video Lost Kings of Central America, James Cooper goes on an adventure to discover the rich history of the Olmecs and what is left from them that has been preserved. Through many hours of driving and walking, he uncovers a lot of landmarks and objects that not a lot of people have the opportunity to see in real life. After uncovering a volcanic basalt rock, James goes on to explain how "important stone working was to the Olmec" and "the effort involved in immortalizing members of the elite tells us how strongly the Olmec must have believed in their leader's ability to influence nature and provide for the people" (Lost 20:48-20:50, 21:20-21:30). The volcanic basalt rock was one of the boulders that the Olmec were intending on using to create public art. Considering the fact that colossal heads were created to depict rulers, it would be true that the people had an admiration for them and thought their presence was significant. In the article "La Venta," Rebecca Gonzalez Lauck goes into detail about the climate and elevation, size, river system, and complexes formed in La Venta. Not a lot of areas have been thoroughly searched because "most of La Venta's edifices have not been subject to archaeological excavation, making it difficult to know their precise functions" (Gonzalez Lauck 799). With many edifices in La Venta not being thoroughly searched, archaeologists may be missing important information that could help them answer their questions about the Olmecs. For example, there could be drawings on the inner walls that connect the dots between two parts of a question. The insides are unknown until someone decides to explore the buildings from the inside out.


A San Lorenzo
 Colossal Head
   The YouTube video and article have their similarities and differences. In regards to the YouTube video, there was information about the Olmec ball game that was not mentioned in the article. James explained that the Olmec ball game is a "mechanism for playing out relationships between communities and city-states and in some ways allows individuals to live vicariously through those who represent them" (Lost 29:03-29:14). Through such meaning of the game, it gives people from different civilizations the opportunity to bond and have fun. As for the article, there were details about the specifics of the offering items that were not included in the YouTube video. Out of the many offerings, "most...consisted of caches of ceramic vessels, concave magnetite mirrors, and more than one hundred votive celts and axes" (Gonzalez Lauck 800). By listing the offerings the Olmecs used, we could get a clear idea of what they used and start thinking about why they used those items. In contrast to the differences between the YouTube video and article, they have similarities. The geography of La Venta has been described as the same in both sources, which the city has a humid climate and receives a lot of rainfall. Also, the size of La Venta has been described as big through the usage of the word "hectare." Both sources have their own information to share, which differences will inform readers about the wide opportunities to learn all about the Olmecs.
La Venta Archaeological Zone

   The information from the YouTube video and article is all new to me. Although I recall reading about the same topic in earlier segments of the modules, this information has helped me remember what I learned before. The YouTube video has taught me that "across Mesoamerica, archaeologists have found examples of local communities and emerging civilizations imitating Olmec-style imagery as far west as the Pacific coast and south into modern-day Guatemala" (Lost 44:56-45:10). By showing how influential the Olmecs were through a map expanding the areas they impacted, I learned that the Olmecs have acted as leaders to many other civilizations, influencing the lives of many people to change their old ways for the ways of the Olmecs. As for the article, I learned that "today only about one-half of its earthen architectural vestiges remain, owing to recent urban and industrial blight" (Gonzalez Lauck 799). What's left of the Olmecs in La Venta is slowly disappearing as more room for modern civilization is being developed. Through knowing this, it is true that the rare artifacts being uncovered should be preserved for a long time so that the name of the Olmecs lives on. As humans, we tend to forget old stuff to make room for the new stuff. Although forgetting old stuff may have its benefits, the consequences will always be on the back of the mind. Thinking about old stuff will remind humans about the memories recalled. For the Olmecs, their legacy shall not be forgotten with the impact they had on many lives. In the future, many humans will be as influential as the Olmecs in their unique ways, whether the ways are big or small.


Olmec Colossal Heads: A Brief History





Works Cited 

Lost Kingdoms of Central America." YouTube, uploaded by FiveDigitCreature, 29 June 

       2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTuab0SNuPA&feature=emb_title


Evans, Susan Toby, and David L. Webster. “Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: Taylor & Francis Group.” Taylor & Francis, Taylor & Francis, 27 Nov. 2000, www.taylorfrancis.com/books/archaeology-ancient-mexico-central-america-susan-toby-evans-david-webster/10.4324/9780203827512. 




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