Olmec heads, Monument 1
1. Overshadowed by the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, the Olmecs thrived as a productive and inquisitive society for many years. Their amazing sculptures inspired future civilizations to strive for accurate depections, which displayed the emotions and characteristics of thier people. The sculptures of the Olmec at the archeological site of "La Venta," caught my eye while reasearching the different pre-columbian civilizations. One sculpture in particular gained my interest, Monument 1, a colossal Olmec head. This piece of art connects to my study of humanities because it is a direct reflection of the artistic abiltities of the time.
2. Thier are four colossal heads located at La Venta. Seventeen heads are sprad throughout the area, but only four are of epic proportion. The specific piece of artwork I chose is Monument 1, is located south of the Great Pyramid, while the others are located north of the pyramid. Monument 1 is made of stone (basalt) and stands 9 feet tall, while weighing several tons. The basalt quarry used to create the heads was discovered 80 kilometers away in the Tuxtla Mountains. Mounument 1 uses many lines to create a distinct shape if the face. Curved lines are used to help the eyes, lips, and nose protrude from the face. The texture is rough, but probably was smooth at the time of its erection.
3. The four colossal heads were most liklely the four great rulers of the Olmec empire, Mounument 1 perhaps being the most significant ruler, because of its sheer size.
4. I became interested in this piece of art because of its detail and size. Their are many myths about the head and other heads that were intriging. I believe as many others do that the head represents a great ruler of the Olmec empire. Like many other civilzations, the larger the figure, the more important it is. I feel that Monument 1 was loved by the people and led them to many victories, perhaps he was a great militraistic leader or a great visionary. The care in the depction of the face and effort to move the massive head leads me to beleive this was a prominent figure among the Olmec civilization.
5. I wolud like to know if their was a collection of skilled artists who created these figures or if their was one man or woman who designed the majority of them. How were the massive statues transported? How was the basalt transprted from the Tuxtla Mountains 80 kilometers away? I am fairly certain as others are that Monument 1 and the other coloassal heads represented Olmec rulers, but who were some of the rulers and what were their names?
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