The Olmèques are old a Mexican Peuple of the time précolombienne being opened out of 1200 av. J.C until 500 av. J.C on vast a Partie the Mésoamérique. Olmèque civilization was on the Coast of the Gulf, in the Basin of Mexico City, and along the coast Pacifique (States of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas) until the south of Costa Rica. Resulting from the term Nahuatl “olmeca”, which means “people of the country of the rubber”, this word related to is discovered olmèque first colossal head in 1862. The “olmèque” term is officialized in 1942 by the olmecologists.

Origins

For the specialists

The olmèque culture remains unknown until second half of XIX^e century. The specialists agree to fix the beginnings of the olmecology in 1862 with the fortuitous discovery of the first colossal head at Hueyapan (Veracruz) by Jose María Melgar there Serrano. Today, according to the French school promoted by Christine Niederberger and taken again in particular by Caterina Magni, the olmèque culture seems an multi-ethnic unit and pluri-linguistics which extends from 1200 before J.C. up to 500 before J.C. on a vast part of the Mesoamerica. Its presence is attested on old levels of occupation on the Coast of the Gulf, in the Basin of Mexico City and along the Pacifique coast in the States of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas. Beyond the Mexican borders, one counts vestiges olmèques until the south of the Costa Rica. Among the major sites, one can quote: San Lorenzo (Veracruz), Was windy It (Tabasco), Chalcatzingo (Morelos), Teopantecuanitlán (Guerrero) and Abaj Takalik (or Takalik Abaj) in Guatemala.

For the others

Many amateurs of mysterious history wanted to allot to Olmèque civilization various origins. A relatively important literature exists on this subject.

• the assumption '' Jaredite '', defended by certain members of the Church of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days for which the olmèques ones would be the descendants of Jaredites, populates Livre of Mormon. This assumption forever found echo in the scientific community.
• the African assumption , which finds its origin in the interpretation of physical similarities and nuns between the olmèques ones, such as archeology knows them, and the Mandingues. It is about an old and popular assumption which found credibility within the scientific community forever.
• the Chinese assumption , which defends the idea according to which the origin of olmèques would go back to the Dynastie Shang.

Ultimately for the specialists in civilizations précolombiennes, the indigenous origin of olmèques is not any doubt.

Company

Writing and calendar

Let us note the existence of a writing (pictograms - ideograms) which is in force as of 1200 before J.C on a vast part of the Mesoamerica. It is registered initially on the terra cotta, then on other supports, and in particular the stone. Thus the setting at the day of a cylinder seal in 2002 tonic with 650 before J.C testified already according to certain scientists to the existence to a written form. Then with the discovery of the Stèle of Cascajal one can think that the specialists will agree to recognize that the writing is finally identifiable in the olmèque culture. Even if some archeologists, following the example David Grove and Christopher Pool or max Schvoerer, remain skeptics on the authenticity of the stele.

Sociopolitic organization

The olmèque company is still very badly known what perhaps explains the divergences of opinions. Opinions which agree on only one point: existence the one crucial period located between 1000 and 900 before J.C., marked by material changes ascribable to several factors: the introduction of agricultural novel methods allowing better a Food and consequently a demographic growth , intensification of the exchanges, a important Urbanization accompanied by a strong social stratification, a Centralization of the political powers, by a Religion institutionalized, and in a general way of a specialization of the activities. During this period one records an intensification of work of Architecture and Sculpture. Monumental sculptures rythment the ceremonial centers and accentuate the majesty of it. Is it already necessary to speak in terms about State or more prudently, about evolution with the passage of a segmentary company of clannish type with that official? The debate remains open. The level of the nature of the capacity, one enjoys to qualify this theocratic system of .

Olmèque iconography

See also: olmèque Art

On the level of the iconography, the human figure constitutes the main theme of olmèque art. The catalog of monumental works of Beatriz of Fuente (1973) comprises 206 parts, of which 110 represent anthropomorphic characters. Animalist works come only in third position, after the hybrid figures, among which the man-jaguar prevails.

Religion

Let us summarize the state of knowledge relative to the olmèques “divinities”. Their nature and their number are the subject of controversies. Three principal currents can be distinguished.

Partisans of the Pantheon

With at the head D. Joralemon, which following an analytical work, identifies ten " divinités" principal within the crowned universe. Their number is reduced, in a posterior publication, to six. This Pantheon would be governed by a " divinité" major that the author names " dragon" , made up of attributes borrowed from the caiman, the eagle, the jaguar and the snake.

Worship of the Earth Mother and the Jaguar

The current of the partisans of a religion centered around the worship of the Earth Mother and the Jaguar, that it is anthropomorphisé or not. The olmèque jaguar is represented in animal or semi-animal form. It is generally associated with the rain and agriculture. Its capacity is ambivalent: creator and destructor at the same time. It is about the traditional current which gathers the majority of the specialists.

Anthropomorphic “fetishes”

The current of the authors who deny the phenomenon of the deification. Although conscious of a religious reality, they do not believe in the existence of formalized divinities. It is the case of Pohorilenko which sees in olmèque art a composition of elements requiring a reading, a kind of visual communication using specific signs. These made up representations do not depict divinities, but rather " fétiches" anthropomorphic which contains spirits, capacities of nature. They would be thus invisible Masters and not gods.

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