Olmec colossal heads
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The Olmec colossal heads are stone representations of human heads sculpted from large basalt boulders. They range in height from 1.17 to 3.4 metres. The heads date from at least 900 BCE and are a dist
San Lorenzo Colossal Head 4, now at the Xalapa Museum of Anthropology
La Venta Monument 1, c. 1960
"Olmec-style" face mask in jade
Pottery Olmec figurine of an "infantile figure", a common and distinct Olmec type
Takalik Abaj
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Tak'alik Ab'aj is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in Guatemala. It was formerly known as Abaj Takalik; its ancient name may have been Kooja. It is one of several Mesoamerican sites with both Olmec
Excavations of the Middle Preclassic ballcourt at Takalik Abaj
Obsidian artefacts recovered from Takalik Abaj, including prismatic blades and obsidian cores.
Stela 5 from Takal'ik Ab'aj. The latest of the two Long Count dates is equivalent to a date in AD 126. The dates are flanked by rulers, probably symbolising the passing of power from one king to the next. Click here for a photo of this stela.
Early Classic cylindrical polychrome vessel from Takalik Abaj