la venta archaeological site

They range in height from 1.17 to 3.4 meters / 3.8 to 11.2 feet, with the smallest weighing six tons and the largest a whopping 50. "[6] Today, the entire southern end of the site is covered by a petroleum refinery and has been largely demolished, making excavations difficult or impossible. [28] Celts, or "pseudo-axes," are extremely common in both burials and offerings. Originally La Venta was thought to be a Mayan site. For example, the basalt columns that surround Complex A were quarried from Punta Roca Partida, on the Gulf coast north of the San Andres Tuxtla volcano. The royal compound - and the city itself - is dominated by Complex C, a man-made mountain built of many tons of earth. the city went into decline around 400 B.C. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Coe, Michael D and Rex Koontz. La Venta was the primary center of the Olmec culture and likely the most important regional capital in non-Maya Mesoamerica during the Middle Formative period (approximately 800400 BCE). It is considered the third most important Olmec site, after San Lorenzo and La Venta . 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1996. [29] "Evidence has been found for corn (Zea mais) of teosinte size associated with ceramic material dated to 1750 BCE. William F. Rust and Robert J. Sharer, "Olmec Settlement Data from La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico," in Science 242 (1988): 102-104. La Serena Eventually the site was abandoned altogether and reclaimed by the jungle: it would remain lost for centuries. Their first great city was San Lorenzo, but the city declined and around 900 A.D. the center of Olmec civilization became La Venta. ." The stone used to produce many of these sculptures also indicates the importance of Offering #4. Arqueologa Mexicana Vol XV - Num. Browse 41 la venta archaeological site photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. La Venta was originally built on an island in the Tonal River; now it is part of a large swamp. [20] La Venta is perhaps the largest Olmec city and it was controlled and expanded by an extremely complex hierarchical system with a king, as the ruler and the elites below him. El Parque Museo La Venta is an outdoor archaeological museum in Villahermosa. Although the site isn't particularly spectacular for tourists and visitors - if you want breathtaking temples and buildings, go to Tikal or Teotihuacn - any archaeologist will tell you it's just as important. Her work has appeared in scholarly publications such as Archaeology Online and Science. [40] They also obtained better carbon samples in order to achieve one of the key goals of the excavation of La Ventaproving that the Olmec were a distinct and separate culture that pre-dates the first Maya settlements. The Olmecs: America's First Civilization. Four colossal heads out of a total of seventeen known to exist were discovered here. [4][5] La Venta is located at the nexus of four different ecosystems: marshes, mangrove swamps, tropical forest, and the Gulf of Mexico. Complex A is a mound and plaza group located just to the north of the Great Pyramid (Complex C). Unfortunately, not much is known about the political or social structure of the Olmec, though new dating techniques might, at some point, reveal more information about this elusive culture. Instead of dwellings, La Venta is dominated by a restricted sacred area (Complex A), the Great Pyramid (Complex C), and the large plaza to their south. Over many centuries, the bones of trapped animals have been preserved. "[6] Unfortunately, few, if any, of the residential structures surrounding the large centers of the city have survived. It often appears in conjunction with the maize deity and so might have connection with subsistence. La Venta was located on an almost inaccessible island, surrounded at that time by the Tonal River; the river now divides the states of Veracruz and Tabasco. Probably the bodies had been thus wrapped before interment." La Venta is dominated by Complex C, also called the Great Pyramid. This is why La Venta has a rather loose chronology that cannot be made any more definitive. John Laing plc The mounds and platforms were built largely from local sands and clays. Elisa Ramirez. "[41] Their efforts have opened the site to a new generation of graduate students and other anthropologists, who continue to uncover new evidence about the mysterious Olmec. P. 30-35. Unlike other Mesoamerican peoples, the Olmec did not build monumental architecture on quite the same scale as say the Maya, Zapotec, Toltec, or Aztec. San Lorenzo Tenochtitln or San Lorenzo is the collective name for three related archaeological sites San Lorenzo, Tenochtitln and Potrero Nuevolocated in the southeast portion of the Mexican state of Veracruz. Gillespie and Volk worked together to create a three-dimensional map of Complex A, based on archived notes and drawings and published in 2014. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2005. The La Venta heads are thought to have been carved by 700 BCE, but possibly as early as 850 BCE, while the San Lorenzo heads are credited to an earlier period. "Throughout the layer [uncovered by Stirling in 1942] were copious unrestorable traces of organic material. This is perhaps related to religion (its fairly speculative, at this point) but it certainly shows a high level of sophistication and city-planning. Matthew Stirling is credited with discovering, in the early 1940s, four huge Olmec heads sculpted from basalt, the largest more than 2m high. Some of the artifacts have been moved to the museum "Parque - Museo de La Venta", which is in Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco.The Olmec was one of the earliest civilizations to develop in the Americas.Rising from the sedentary agriculturalists of the Gulf Lowlands . . [8] Surrounded by a series of basalt columns, which likely restricted access to the elite, it was erected in a period of four construction phases that span over four centuries (1000 600 BCE). The La Venta is an archaeological site in the Mexican State of Tabasco. Hirst, K. Kris. 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). La Venta, ancient Olmec settlement, located near the border of modern Tabasco and Veracruz states, on the gulf coast of Mexico. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. (May 25, 2023). The Olmec Royal Compound at La Venta. [19] Alternatively, some believe the side figures to be bound captives. Once, there was a great city there. Christopher Minster, Ph.D., is a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. In this context, the fetuses, as metaphors for "life force," battle the chthonic forces that would usurp that precious vitality. Miller, Mary and Karl Taube. . Corrections? A bird image is connected to two glyphs on speech scrolls that represent the date 3 Ajaw on the 260-day Mesoamerican calendar. Influence of the Olmec Civilization on Mesoamerica, The Olmec Capital of La Venta - History and Archaeology, Pyramids: Enormous Ancient Symbols of Power, complex cosmos and religion<.a> including. p. 49-54. London: Thames and Hudson, 2004. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. p. 49-54. [43][44][45][46], The incident prompted Mexican legislators to draft legislation "that would increase fines and jail time for vandalism and looting of monuments and archaeological sites. ThoughtCo. These stone monuments, stelae, and "altars" were carefully distributed amongst the mounds and platforms. "[21], It has been estimated that La Venta would need to be supported by a population of at least 18,000 people during its principal occupation. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. ", There is a definite connection between animals and spirituality among the Olmec, especially with animal characteristics combined with human features. This plaza is just south of the Great Pyramid, east of the Complex B platforms, and west of the huge raised platform referred to as the Stirling Acropolis. olmec colossal sculpture - la venta park stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Cabeza de Viejo , sculpture of a human head, La Venta Museum Park, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/La-Venta. Retrieved May 25, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/la-venta. As San Lorenzo's fortunes fell, La Venta's rose, and between 800 and 400 bce it was the most important site in Mesoamerica. He is a former head writer at VIVA Travel Guides. in height and weigh several tons. These objects bear glyphs that are related to but different from the laster Isthmian, Mayan, and Oaxacan styles of writing. [35] Complex A at the site was built and rebuilt during this period and this date range comes from carbon samples from construction fills. In addition, there were numerous carved basalt monuments, notably colossal heads weighing some 18 tons. Olmec colossal head, 8th century BC, La Venta Park archaeological site, Villahermosa, Mexico. This particular site layout is the way the city was from 600 400 BCE, which is when the final Olmec occupation occurred. before being abandoned and reclaimed by the jungle. Ceremonial areas and more structures stretch to the north and south. This is represented in Olmec "art" and those with elite status would have worn elaborate headdresses of feathers and other animal forms. La Venta, along with San Lorenzo, Tres Zapotes and El Manat, is one of the four most important Olmec sites known to exist. Her team focused on mapping the site and "ended and reversed the urban encroachment on the archaeological site of La Venta and created a program of protection, restoration, and research. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The La Venta Archaeological Site - Definitely One of the Best Places to Visit in Villahermosa, . To the north, Complex A was "guarded" by three colossal heads, and several sculptures and stelae of note have been found in the complex. There were three mosaic pavements representing jaguar masks, each measuring about 15 by 20 feet (4.5 by 6 m); these were deliberately buried soon after completion. "[17], The arrangement of the mounds, platforms, complexes, and monumental artifacts at La Venta created a unique civil and ceremonial center that, in the words of Rebecca Gonzalez-Lauck, constitutes "one of the earliest examples of large-scale ideological communications through the interaction of architecture and sculpture".[18]. [13], La Venta was first excavated by Matthew Stirling and Philip Drucker (assisted by Waldo Wedel in 1943, due to Drucker's military service during WWII) between 1940 and 1943, resulting in several articles by Stirling and in 1952 a two-volume monograph by Drucker. There are five "massive offerings" here: deep pits filled with serpentine stones and colored clay before being topped with serpentine mosaics and earthen mounds. El Parque Museo La Venta is an outdoor archaeological museum in Villahermosa. Priests had power and influence over life and death and likely great political sway as well. 25 May. Plan your trip to Villahermosa. Ancient History Anth Final Exam STUDY Flashcards Learn Write Spell Test PLAY Match Gravity Olmec Click card to see definition (1400-400 B.C. As a ceremonial center, La Venta contains an elaborate series of buried offerings and tombs, as well as monumental sculptures. But Olmec art is not limited to stone heads, as this culture created countless works of art on a par with those of any other Mesoamerican civilization. [33], Basalt rock was brought in from the Tuxtla Mountains to make stone monuments. The city itself covered an area of 200 hectares and its influence spread much further. He holds degrees in multimedia, philosophy and translation from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway. The site is now protected as an archaeological park. Possibly the shape was intended to match or represent the mountains nearby. He is a former head writer at VIVA Travel Guides. [42], Because of extremely poor viewing conditions in the tropical rainforest, different parts of La Venta were discovered piecemeal, and it was decades before scholars realized that all the platforms and stone sculptures found in the vicinity were part of a single site, an ancient city that was occupied from 900-400 BCE.[13] Phases I- IV are dated based on radiocarbon dates from Complex A, with approximately one hundred years between each phase. These monuments, including Colossal Head 1 (Monument 1), were of such a large size and were placed in such a position that they could convey their messages to many viewers at once. ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/the-olmec-city-of-la-venta-2136301. Skilled sculptors produced colossal heads and thrones weighing many tons as well as finely polished jadeite celts, axe heads, beads and other pretty things. La Venta is a pre-Columbian archaeological site of the Olmec civilization located in the present-day Mexican state of Tabasco. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. The information gleaned from Complex A alone is priceless. The only organics recovered at the site include traces of long bones, a burned skullcap, a few milk teeth, a shark's tooth, and stingray spinesall found in the basalt tomb [Structure A-2]." thesis. La Venta is a very important Olmec site and many interesting and significant artifacts have been found there, including four of the famous Olmec colossal heads. (2020, August 28). Aside from varying greatly in size, colossal Olmec heads vary in their expression, though they all follow a similar aesthetic template. It is unclear whether these artifacts were actually used in any practical way or if their meaning is ritual or symbolic. ): "first" Mesoamerican civilization o Distinctive art style o Extensive trade networks - centered at the San Lorenzo site- La Venta -practice ritual bloodletting and played the MesoAmerican ballgame At first glance, there are a number of noticeable aspects of this . See La Venta, San Lorenzo, and Tres Zapotes, where the first of the Olmec colossal heads were found in 1862. . Gonzalez Tauck, Rebecca B. Encyclopedia.com. K. Kris Hirst is an archaeologist with 30 years of field experience. https://www.thoughtco.com/olmec-capital-of-la-venta-173153 (accessed June 20, 2023). Ultimately La Venta's influence petered out and the city went into decline around 400 B.C. The core is dominated by a 100 foot (30 m) high clay pyramid (called Mound C-1), which has been heavily erodedbut was likely the largest single building at the time in Mesoamerica. The entrance to La Venta archaeological park in the heart of Villahermosa. ThoughtCo. While it may have included as-yet-undiscovered regal residences, habitation for the non-regal elite and the commoners were located at outlying sites such as San Andrs. Hirst, K. Kris. Grove, David C. "Cerros Sagradas Olmecas." Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. "[5] Maize was the primary domesticated food source and Seinfeld's (2007) study of feasting at the nearby sub-city of San Andres uncovered likely maize use in beverages, as well as cocoa. The Olmecs: America's First Civilization. [6] A carbon sample from a burned area of the Structure C-1's surface resulted in the date of 394 30 BCE. To the south of the Great Pyramid, Complex B is a large plaza (referred to as Plaza B) and a series of four smaller mounds. Tres Zapotes is sometimes referred to as the third major Olmec capital (after San Lorenzo Tenochtitln and La Venta), but the Olmec phase is only a portion of the site's history, which continued through the Epi-Olmec and Classic Veracruz cultural periods. La Venta is oriented 8 degrees west of north, like most Olmec sites, the significance of which is obscure to date. The most famous of these Olmec heads, known as Head 1, is in La Venta Park and features a characteristic wide nose and thick lips. [8], Several burials have been found at La Venta, especially in Mound A, but none have skeletal remains as the environment is too humid for organic preservation. "Zoomorphic forms reference sharks and birds, and both collections contain representations of the quincunx symbol, a conceptualization of the cosmos in Mesoamerican thought."[31]. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; brea in Spanish) has seeped up from the ground for tens of thousands of years. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. "For decades, certain scholars have used shamanism as an explanatory paradigm for considering the monuments of La Venta one of the most important ceremonial-civic centers of the Middle Formative era. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Mirrors were an incredibly important part of Olmec society, used in both rituals and daily life. 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