|
The Olmecs are generally considered to be the ultimate ancestor of all
subsequent Mesoamerican civilisations. Thriving between about 1200 and 400
BC, their base was the tropical lowlands of south central Mexico, an area
characterized by swamps punctuated by low hill ridges and volcanoes. Here the
Olmecs practiced advanced farming techniques and constructed permanent
settlements, including San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, La Venta, Tres Zapotes, Laguna
de los Cerros, and La Mojarra. However, the consolidation of their city-states led
to notable cultural influence far beyond their heartland, and throughout the
Mesoamerican region. This was confirmed in 2005 with the use of NAA (Neutron
Activation Analysis) and petrography to demonstrate the spread of Olmec
ceramic vessels. It would appear that the Olmec style became synonymous with
elite status in other (predominantly highland) groups, with evidence for
exchange of artefacts in both directions. A non-literate group, the Olmecs
nevertheless paved the way for the development of writing systems in the
loosely defined Epi- Olmec period (c. 500 BC). Further innovations include
arguably the first use of the zero, so instrumental in the Maya long count
vigesimal calendrical system. They also appear to have been the originators of
the famous Mesoamerican ballgame so prevalent among later cultures in the
region, and either retained or invented several religious symbols such as the
feathered serpent and the rain spirit, which persisted in subsequent and related
cultures until the middle ages.
Comparatively little is known of their magico-religious world, although the clues
that we have are tantalising. The art forms for which the Olmecs are best known,
the monumental stone heads weighing up to forty tons, are generally assumed
to pertain to some form of kingly leader or possibly an ancestor. The smaller jade
figures and celts of which this is one are believed to be domestically or
institutionally based totems or divinities. The quality of production is
astonishing, particularly if one considers the technology available for production,
the early date of the pieces, and the dearth of earlier works upon which the
Olmec sculptors could draw. Some pieces are highly stylised, while others
demonstrate striking naturalism with interpretation of some facial features
(notably down-turned mouths and slit eyes) that can be clearly seen in the
current figure.
The odd
proportions of this figure, specifically the
swollen belly and seemingly truncated legs,
suggest that this work may represent a
deformed individual or someone suffering from a
medical disorder. Unlike Western culture that
shunned such physical deformations, the Pre-
Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica heralded
retardation as a blessing from the gods.
Deformed persons were believed to possess
heightened spiritual powers and often became
shamans and spiritual leaders within the
community. The narrow, slanted eyes are
characteristic of Olmec art. The down-turned
mouth is a type known as the “were-jaguar,”
thought by scholars to depict a shaman in the
midst of transmogrification. Thus, it is likely that
this figurine, rendered in stone, may depict a
shaman. As great civilizations rise and fall, they
leave behind traces of their existence. Ritualistic
objects, venerated in their own time, continue to
exert an eternal force long after they have left
the hands that once held them sacred. A
mysterious energy still radiates from the core of
this jade carving, a testament to the artistry and
culture of the ancient Olmec civilization.
- (PF.6261)
|
