Name: OLMEC COLOSSAL HEAD
Time: c. 1500 - 300 BC
Location: San Lorenzo, East Coast, Mexico

Too much praise can give you a big head! Perhaps that's how the Olmec people felt about their leaders. There is, in fact, much evidence to indicate the rulers were well respected. These enormous heads, carved from volcanic basalt, range from 5 to 9 feet tall and weigh as much as 20 tons. Only 17, each different, have been found throughout Mexico since the first discovery in 1862. Some were moved great distances from mountain quarries through rugged terrain to centers like San Lorenzo, Veracruz. The colossal heads were perhaps portraits ofgreat rulers. They usually display the insignia of a ruler, and exhibited thick features and helmet-like headgear, probably for ceremonial ballgames. The Olmec society consisted of fixed classes of priests, bureaucrats, merchants and craftspeople. These mysterious statues have become the icons of the Olmec civilization. Our scaled reproduction of Monument-1 from San Lorenzo, will add a sense of strength to your home or office décor. And this one won't break your back!