Mysterious Stone Heads of Mesoamerica

The year was 1938. An American archaeologist named Matthew Stirling was on an expedition in the jungles of Mexico. The weather was hot and humid which made the work tedious and tiring. But he was determined to discover artifacts to learn about the people who had lived there long ago.


Stirling and his crew had already uncovered stone altars and pieces of pottery hidden beneath the leafy brush. They were pleased with what they had discovered so far, but their next find would prove to be an even bigger prize. A large piece of stone was buried under the forest floor. At first, Stirling thought it might be another altar. But as his workers cleared away soil, they realized it was a sculpture of a giant head. The stone carving was magnificent, with thick lips and a fearless expression.




Stirling had seen pictures of colossal carved heads before. Similar sculptures had been discovered during the 1800s and early 1900s. The ancient builders who carved these heads lived in Mesoamerica, an area between North America and South America, more than 2,000 years ago.


Although the Mesoamericans had similar customs, there were many different groups. Some of their names are well known, including the Maya and the Aztec. But one culture—the Olmec—might be a little less familiar. The Olmec people lived in the area first and influenced those that followed. They were also the ancient artists who sculpted the mysterious stone heads.

Until recently, not many people had heard of this group. When the colossal heads were first found, no one knew who had created them. It wasn’t until ruins of an Olmec city were discovered that archaeologists began to put the pieces together. The ruins showed the Olmec were the first civilization to live in the area. They were the first to have an organized society, the first to create great works of art, and the first to build huge structures.


No one knows for sure why they carved these works of art. Archaeologists once thought the heads honored Olmec kings. Perhaps they were like our statues of great leaders. If you look closely at the heads, however, all the faces are alike. They seem too similar to show individual people. It’s possible the stone heads show one great Olmec hero or god, but it’s unlikely we’ll ever know for sure.

Olmec sculptors mainly used two kinds of stone—jade and basalt. Jade was used to create small, delicate figurines. Basalt was used for bigger pieces, such as stelae, which were tall towers etched with carvings. This stone was also used to create the giant heads. The Olmec had to travel a great distance to find basalt. It was located in the volcanic mountains along the western edges of their land.


Getting the stone was a difficult task. They needed hundreds of workers to get the job done. Archaeologists have experimented with simple tools and methods to figure out how the Olmec did it. Most believe a team of workers first searched for the basalt and hacked out heavy pieces with stone tools. Next, they probably dragged it to a river with rollers made out of logs and ropes. Finally, they loaded the stone onto a raft and sailed back to the city. But it would take months for sculptors to carve the stone into a piece of art.

About 2,000 years ago, the Olmec abandoned their cities. They left behind their homes, their farms and their great works of art. No one knows why. The most likely reason is a drop in the food supply. Rather than starve, the people left.

In recent years, archaeologists have uncovered a lot of information about the Olmec. However, they don’t know nearly as much as they’d like. The environment explains some of the gaps in their knowledge. Unlike the giant heads, most Olmec buildings have disappeared. Over thousands of years, nearby rivers deposited clay and mud, burying many structures. Archaeologists believe they’re now eight feet or more underground.

The Olmec people played a part, too. They buried some of their giant heads as well. Sometimes, they cut or drilled holes into the faces before covering them. At one Olmec city, the ancient people rolled heads into a deep ravine. No one knows the reason why.

Many mysteries about the Olmec may never be solved. But, their long-lasting sculptures tell us some of what we know about Mesomerica’s first civilization. Today, archaeologists call this group the “Mother Culture of Mexico,” because they were the first in the area to achieve great things and gave birth to those that followed.

Source for Photos: Smithsonian, Olmec Civilization

Source for Map: Olmec Civilization