![]() ![]() The Olmecs were the first people in Mesoamerica to create the massive stone monuments found on Mexico’s southern Gulf Coast. In the same area, archaeologists found multiple elaborate tombs and the ornate, oversized mosaics (4.34) made from large blocks of serpentine rock, buried under several feet of soil. There are several other pyramid-shaped mounds situated in clusters for over one mile. Researchers initially believed the pyramid was built rounded to reflect the local mountains however, using modern research tools, the pyramid was rectangular with stepped sides and eroded by time. The grand earthen truncated mound (4.33) was the most massive structure on the Mesoamerican peninsula, rising over 34 meters from the natural level countryside and the center of the city. La Venta became the center of Olmec culture, and they developed a government, traded with other locations and established religion, and became one of the first significant cultures in Mesoamerica. The Olmec’s erected three large sites around 900 BCE, La Venta, the largest and most prominent. Moreover, the park-museum is very easy to visit if you are flying in to Villahermosa, which has the closest airport to Palenque (2-hour drive).\)Īs with most other civilizations, the Olmec civilization began where there was water, establishing their location on the alluvial fan of the Coatzacoalcos River basin. Visitors must understand this is a museum, not a large archaeological site like Chichen Itza or Palenque. However, we personally loved La Venta and the colossal Olmec stone heads. If you have no interest in art, Meso-American culture, ancient mysteries, or unique museums, that might be true. We have seen some reviews on which suggest a side trip to La Venta in Villahermosa is not worth a detour. As of June 2020, tickets are around $2 for non-Mexican visitors. ![]() Parque-Museo La Venta is located in Villahermosa in the Mexican state of Tabasco. It’s incredible to think that this museum was built in 1958 because it feels totally cutting edge. There’s quite a bit of space between pieces, so you have time to process the art and the wildlife. That dizzy, sick feeling you get when you inch through a normal museum completely vanishes because you walk, you breathe, you explore and you discover. An Olmec colossal head just feels way cooler when it’s backed by jungle with free-roaming coatis scampering across your path and tropical birds flying overhead. The creators of the museum really understood that presenting an archaeological treasure in an open air environment greatly enhances that Indiana Jones sense of discovery. How was such an enormous stone carving made and positioned more than 2,500 years ago? UFO and Atlantis conspiracists will especially love La Venta. The head known as Monument 1 at La Venta (lead pic) is almost 8 feet high (2.4 m) and weighs more than 24 tons. While there are endless theories about these unique creations, not much is actually known about why they were created and who or what they represent. (Much of the smaller Olmec sculpture could almost be mistaken for traditional Japanese art.) There are also some intriguing cylindrical basalt structures at La Venta and mysterious monoliths that leave visitors with many questions.īut the highlight of any visit to the park is the rare opportunity to view three of the seventeen known colossal Olmec heads. ![]() Olmec art is very old (1,000 – 500 BC) and unique it immediately stands out from other pre-Columbian art because of its simplicity and modern aesthetic. Those priceless treasures include three colossal Olmec stone heads as well as many other very impressive examples of Olmec sculpture and carving. Created in 1958, the park-museum was designed to house relocated Olmec treasures that were threatened by petro-chemical development near the original La Venta archaeological site in northern Tabasco. Parque-Museo La Venta in Villahermosa is one of the most unique, well conceived museums we’ve ever encountered. ![]()
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