The Americas

The Olmecs:

Living in the south central lowlands of modern Mexico, the Olmec people are considered the first major civilization to populate the region. Known for their Colossal Head Statues, Mesoamerican Ballgame, and bloodletting rituals, The Olmec nation laid the ground work for many civilizations to come

 

The Heads

 

Dating as far back as 900 BC, the Olmec Colossal heads are a remarkable example of this periods resourcefulness and audacity. Weighing in anywhere from 6 to 50 tons, these basalt boulders rest relatively unmarked, if not moved from their original location.

 

Spread across San Lorenzo, La Venta, and other Olmec sights, a total of 17 heads have been discovered, with many fragments and the possibility of more to be found.

All examples that have been found depict flat nosed, fleshy cheeked men that were most  likely rulers at some point; a portrait to their recently deceased leader.

The most interesting thing however is that the backs of all of the heads are flat, most likely to be placed against a wall at some point.

The Game:

The Olmecs are accredited with being the creators of the ancient ball game that can be seen throughout all of the Mesoamerican civilizations.

Their are no records to detail the exact rules of the game, however, it is believed that the primary goal was to keep the ball in play.

The most common portrayal of the game involves the players bouncing the ball with their hips, however, use of rackets and other body parts in some versions has been seen before.


 

The courts, although differing greatly in shape, are all masonry structures; created out of stone with large surfaces for the ball to bounce off of.

Over 1300 Mesoamerican ball courts have been discovered to date.

The Now: