Olmec Pottery Ceramics

Later mesoamerican cultures revered works of art created by the olmec.

Olmec pottery ceramics. After 1200 bce years presented in this entry are uncalibrated distinctive ceramic vessels olmec pottery appeared at select sites across the vast region that anthropologists refer to as mesoamerica southern mexico belize guatemala and eastern honduras. 400 bce and is generally considered the forerunner of all subsequent mesoamerican cultures including the maya and aztecs. This suggests to blomster and his co authors that the olmec packaged and. The metropolitan museum of art new york city the michael c.

With their heartlands in the gulf of mexico now the states of veracruz and tabasco olmec influence and trade activity spread from 1200. Olmec figure olmec figure ceramic cinnabar red ochre from mexico 12th 9th century bce. The inaa study indicated that the olmec center of san lorenzo was a major exporter of carved incised and white pottery and that little if any pottery made elsewhere was consumed at san lorenzo. Since the emergence of the olmec culture considered to be the mother of the mesoamerican cultures ceramics pottery making took an important place in the lives of the mexican people.

1200 bce to c. The earthenware vessels anthropomorphic figures and various types of tools found in the archaeological ruins of the ancient olmec cities of tajin san lorenzo la venta and tres zapotes suggest the. Neutron activation analysis of early formative pottery in the oaxaca highlands of mexico august 1999 journal of archaeological science 26 8. Indeed we suspect gulf coast xochiltepec white served as the inspiration for local ceramic emulations throughout mesoamerica.

The olmec exported this pottery to other regional centers across mesoamerica where many centers created local variants of it. The mysterious olmec civilization located in ancient mexico prospered in pre classical formative mesoamerica from c. While features of the religion and cosmology existed prior to 1200 bce olmec pottery synthesizes and abstracts these concepts on durable material. 34 31 8 14 6cm.

Peoples at other olmec centers such as tres zapotes and cerro de las mesas veracruz continued monumental sculpture and ceramic production for many more centuries. Rockefeller memorial collection bequest of nelson a. 1 while exchange and interaction between regions existed prior to this time in the case of olmec pottery the ceramic. The iconography exhibited on olmec pottery may represent developing religious beliefs cosmology and ideology elements of which can be found in subsequent mesoamerican groups.

Photograph by katie chao. The san lorenzo olmec produced both fine white paste pottery and decorated olmec style ceramics. Many classic maya rulers were buried with olmec figurines or pendants passed down through many generations.