Discovering ancient artifacts, such as statues and parts of statues is not that unusual. However, what is unusual, is finding seventeen huge stone heads, all of which have different characteristics fashioned onto them, making each one an] unique individual. They were found in Mexico and come from the Mesoamerican period around 1200 BCE to 400 BCE. The people who made them were the Olmecs.
These heads are big. Each weighs around eight tons and measures about ten feet in height. It is believed they were all carved from one giant boulder made of basalt and then transported many miles to their various locations. Because the size and trouble it would have taken to carve and transport these heads, it is believed that each of them is different because each represents a different Olmec ruler. This theory received further backing when one of the heads, Head Number 5, was identified as one of the Olmec rulers. It is reported he ruled in the second millennium BCE from the oldest Olmec city called San Lorenzo.
The Olmec civilisation remains very much a mystery. Little has been found in the ruins of San Lorenzo including any “royal” burial sites. In addition, the few writings that have been discovered remain undecipherable. So, it will come as no surprise to learn that we know little about the function the heads’ served. Some say it was to honour their rulers. Others think they were there to ward off unwelcome visitors. Perhaps it was a combination of these suggestions. One thing we can probably be sure of, is that such large heads were there to show the power and dominance of these people.
John Pullen 