por The ceremonial centers of the Olmecs They were built from the year 1500 BC and are San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, La Venta, Tres Zapotes, and Laguna de los Cerros. Each of these centers has particular characteristics and locations.
San Lorenzo remained the capital of the Olmecs until the year 900 BC. C., when the central city became La Venta, which remained functional until the fall of the Olmecs around 400 BC. C. Probably the river or possible changes in the climate caused this movement.
The Olmecs were the first large civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical lowlands in south central Mexico, in the current states of Veracruz and Tabasco, their center was located in the city of La Venta.
The Olmecs prospered during the Formative Period of Mesoamerica, dating from roughly a year as early as 1500 B.C. C. until around the year 400 a. C. Pre-Olmec cultures had emerged in the area since 2500 BC. C. but for the year 1600-1500 a. C., the Olmec culture had emerged.
They were the first Mesoamerican civilization and formed many of the foundations for the civilizations that followed, such as the Mayas.
Judging by the archaeological evidence, it is likely that they would have practiced Mesoamerican ballgames and bloodletting rituals.
List of ceremonial centers of the Olmecs
San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan
The iconic finds from this site are the famous colossal heads. These heads stand about 200 cm long. San Lorenzo is located southeast of the Mexican state of Veracruz. It was the largest center of the Olmec culture from 1200 BC. C. until the year 900 a. c.
Currently, San Lorenzo is best known for the colossal stone heads found in this place; the largest weighs about 28 t and is about 3 m high.
The oldest evidence of Olmec culture is found at El Manatí, a sacrificial swamp with artifacts dating to 1600 B.C. C. or even earlier. Sedentary farmers had lived in the area for centuries before San Lorenzo developed into a regional center.
San Lorenzo was located in the middle of a large agricultural area. This site seems to have been only a ceremonial center, a town without city walls centered in the middle of a medium-sized farming population.
The ceremonial center and its buildings had the capacity of about 1,500 people, while the entire area may have reached 13,000.
San Lorenzo was the first Olmec site to demonstrate a high level of complexity. The site is dominated by Gulf Coast lowlands, creating an Olmec cultural spread throughout the rest of Mesoamerica.
San Lorenzo was the largest city in Mesoamerica from the year 1200 BC. C. until the year 900 a. C., period in which it began to be overshadowed by the Olmec center of La Venta.
For the year 800 a. C., there was very little or no population, although there was an important recolonization in San Lorenzo from the year 600 to the year 400 a. C, as well as another recolonization around the year 800 to 1000 a. c.
The sale
This site of the Olmec civilization is located in the current state of Tabasco. While an occupation layer of La Venta originated in the year 1200 a. C., La Venta did not reach its peak until the decline of San Lorenzo, after the year 900 a. c.
Located on an island in a coastal swamp, La Venta probably controlled the entire region between the Mezcalapa and Coatzacoalcos rivers. There was a large resident population at the site, a number of specialists not engaged in food production, and in the political, religious or economic sectors.
This site is known because its east and west sides are nearly identical, showing bilateral symmetry. It is believed that this was related to his religion. This site was built of earth and clay, since there were not abundant stones for its construction.
The stones that were exported were used exclusively for monuments, including the colossal heads, the altars, and some columns. As a ceremonial center, this site contains an elaborate series of buried offerings and tombs, as well as monumental sculptures.
The oldest pyramid in Mesoamerica is located in La Venta, a clay structure with an average diameter of 128 m and a height of 31.4 m.
After 500 years of dominance, the sale was abandoned by the beginning of the fourth century B.C. c.
Three Zapotes
Tres Zapotes is located in the south central lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico, on the plains of the Papaloapan River. The 2,000-year existence of Tres Zapotes as a cultural center is unusual, but not unique in Mesoamerica.
It was founded sometime in the centuries before 1000 B.C. C. Tres Zapotes emerged as a regional center early in the Middle Formative Period, around 900 – 800 BC. C., approximately coinciding with the decline of San Lorenzo.
The oldest detected architecture dates from around 500 BC. C. It is believed that two colossal heads date from this period. The heads found at this site are smaller than the heads at San Lorenzo.
Unlike other Olmec centers such as La Venta, Tres Zapotes was not abandoned at the end of the Middle Formative Period, around 400 BCE. C., nor was it immediately affected by the decline of the Omec culture in the east of the Olmec nuclear area.
However, over the next several hundred years, the Olmec culture in Tres Zapotes and on the western edges of the Olmec core area would gradually transform into what would become the post-Olmec culture.
Lagoon of the Hills
This site is located within the municipality of Ayacuan, in the state of Veracruz. This area was not occupied during the Post Classic period. It is believed that this site was the point of penetration of trade between the Mexican highlands and the town of Tuxtepec.
This site was settled between 1400 and 1200 BC. c.; it covered about 150 ha. Unlike the three other major ceremonial centers, no colossal head has been found at Laguna de los Cerros, although around two dozen Olmec monuments have been found at the site.
References
The Olmec in World history – Boundless. Retrieved from rachel.golearn.us
San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan. Retrieved from wikipedia.org
The sale. Retrieved from wikipedia.org
Three Zapotes. Retrieved from wikipedia.org
Hills Lagoon. Retrieved from wikipedia.org