The Olmec Mystery

The first advanced civilization in Mesoamerica was the Olmec (1) civilization. It´s carriers introduced writing and monumental buildings into the region. It obviously made all the following civilizations possible. It boasted among many other things with monumental stone heads, and there lies a special mystery.

Monumental Stone Heads, “Red Indian”?

 

Those heads, helmeted, more than three meters high, do not all appear like the majority of the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas. They have the appearance of black people also in contrast to the typical small Olmec statuettes. The creators of those heads where obviously by far too skilled to have created the result by incident. They must have seen persons of this type though there are some of the heads appearing like less skilled copies of the naturalistic ones.

But there are more hints of contacts via the Atlantic as well as via the Pacific (2). The German Diplomat and researcher Alexander von Wuthenau has found a whole number of small sculptures depicting faces and head covers which show people from distant regions. Other scientists have also done research work. But mainstream scientists working on American pre-Columbian history are still reserved.

Complex Early Peopling of the Americas

Another important point is the growing knowledge about the complexity of the immigration to the Americas (3). There are findings especially in Brazil which suggest that not only immigrants of the Siberian type which was transformed into present day Indians came to the Americas. The Brazilian findings display a type much nearer to the Olmec type displayed in the monumental heads.

One day the mystery will be resolved.

Andreas Schlüter

1) The heads & the civilization:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmec

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sanlorenzohead6.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OlmecheadMNAH.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauraelaine/galleries/72157624475458794/#photo_76911232

http://www.aztec-history.com/olmec-civilization.html

http://www.picturesofrecord.com/Olmec%203.htm

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/olmec-colossal-heads-1.htm

2) About the possible pre-Columbian contacts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Columbian_trans-oceanic_contact#Africans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ifFtj2fDKQ

http://books.google.de/books/about/Unexpected_faces_in_ancient_America_1500.html?id=qeVOAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y

http://kintespace.com/rasx42.html

http://www.martincwiner.com/extensive-semitic-presence-documented-in-pre-columbian-america/

3) Early peopling of the Americas:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luzia_Woman

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/12/1212_051212_humans_americas.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/world/americas/discoveries-challenge-beliefs-on-humans-arrival-in-the-americas.html?hp&_r=5

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041118104010.htm

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1980/2/80.02.07.x.html

http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_Si/nmnh/origin.htm

http://csfa.tamu.edu/who.php

http://cogweb.ucla.edu/Chumash/EntryDate.html#african

http://www.athenapub.com/10Dixon.htm