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Extraordinary stone monuments
- The oldest known centre of Olmec civilization, San Lorenzo dates to about the 12th century bce. The site is most noted for its extraordinary stone monuments, especially the “colossal heads” measuring up to 9 feet (more than 2.5 metres) in height.
www.britannica.com/place/San-Lorenzo-ancient-city-Mexico
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San Lorenzo, ancient Mesoamerican city and archaeological site in Veracruz state, east-central Mexico, about 38 miles (60 km) from the Gulf of Mexico. The oldest known centre of Olmec civilization, San Lorenzo dates to about the 12th century bce. The site is most noted for its extraordinary stone.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
May 18, 2024 · The residents of San Lorenzo are known for their welcoming nature. Visitors to San Lorenzo can expect warm hospitality and a friendly atmosphere. The city is a hub for technological innovation. San Lorenzo is home to numerous tech companies, contributing to its dynamic and forward-thinking culture.
- Location
- Occupation of San Lorenzo
- The Archaeological Site
- Stonework
- Sculpture
- Politics
- Decline and Importance
- Sources
San Lorenzo is located in Veracruz State, about 38 miles (60km) from the Gulf of Mexico. The Olmecs could not have selected a better site to build their first great city. The site was originally a large island in the middle of the Coatzacoalcos River, although the course of the river has since changed and now only flows past one side of the site. T...
San Lorenzo was first occupied around 1500 B.C., making it one of the oldest sites in the Americas. It was home to three early settlements, referred to as the Ojochí (1500-1350 B.C.), the Bajío (1350-1250 B.C.), and the Chichárras (1250-1150 B.C.). These three cultures are considered pre-Olmec and are largely identified by pottery types. The Chicha...
San Lorenzo is a sprawling site which includes not only the one-time metropolis of San Lorenzo but several smaller towns and agricultural settlements that were controlled by the city. There were important secondary settlements at Loma del Zapote, where the river forked to the south of the city, and El Remolino, where the waters re-converged to the ...
Very little of Olmec culture has survived to the present day. The climate of the steamy lowlands where they lived has destroyed any books, burial sites, and items of cloth or wood. The most important remnants of the Olmec culture are therefore architecture and sculpture. Fortunately for posterity, the Olmec were talented stonemasons. They were capa...
The Olmec were great artists and the most remarkable feature of San Lorenzo is doubtless the several dozen sculptures that have been discovered at the site and nearby secondary sites like Loma del Zapote. The Olmec were famous for their detailed sculptures of colossal heads. Ten of these heads have been found at San Lorenzo. The largest of them is ...
San Lorenzo was a powerful political center. As one of the first Mesoamerican cities — if not the first — it did not have true contemporary rivals and ruled over a large area. In the immediate environs, archaeologists have discovered many small settlements and dwellings, mostly located on hilltops. The smaller settlements were likely ruled by membe...
In spite of its promising start, San Lorenzo fell into steep decline and by 900 B. C. was a shadow of its former self. The city would be abandoned a few generations later. Archaeologistsdo not really know why San Lorenzo's glory faded so soon after its classic era. There are a few clues, however. Many of the later sculptures were carved out of earl...
Coe, Michael D. "Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs." Ancient Peoples and Places, Rex Koontz, 7th Edition, Thames & Hudson, June 14, 2013. Cyphers, Ann. "San Lorenzo, Veracruz." Arqueología Mexicana, No. 87, 2019. Diehl, Richard. "The Olmecs: America's First Civilization." Ancient Peoples & Places, Hardcover, Thames & Hudson, December 31, 2004.
Feb 27, 2024 · San Lorenzo, about 56 kilometers (35 miles) south of the Gulf of Mexico in the modern Mexican state of Veracruz, was at its height around 1150 to 900 B.C.E. La Venta, east of San Lorenzo and closer to the Gulf Coast (15 kilometers/9 miles) in the modern Mexican state of Tabasco, reached its height in about 900–500 B.C.E.
Apr 4, 2024 · The first evidence of their remarkable art style appears about 1200 bce in San Lorenzo, their oldest known building site. This site is remarkable for its many stone monuments, including some of the colossal carved heads mentioned above.
Aug 10, 2022 · Italian kitchens commonly feature small Lorenzo statues, plaques or holy cards. In Tuscany, San Lorenzo feasting usually means enjoying a traditional bistecca fiorentina (or other grilled meat). The role of the grill is central as the symbolic link to Lorenzo’s martyrdom on the gridiron.
San Lorenzo, the premier Early Formative Olmec capital, overlooks the tropical lowlands of southern Veracruz, Mexico, from a privileged vantage point bounded by meandering water courses of the Coatzacoalcos river system. Initial occupation from about 1500 bce was followed by its florescence, dated between 1200 and 850 bce.
