Different Takes on Mesoamerican Archaeology

     I recently watched a video titled Lost Kingdoms of Central America by BBC and read an article titled "La Venta" by Rebecca Gonzalez Lauck.  The article "La Venta" was about Olmec architectural and archaeological sites in La Venta or what is known today as Tabasco, Mexico.  Gonzalez Lauck describes La Venta's archaeological site in southeastern Mexico as "a key feature in the history of ancient Mesoamerica"(Gonzalez Lauck 798).  On the other hand, the video Lost Kingdoms of Central America also goes over archeological sites as well as sculptings and structures left behind by the Olmecs.  Archaeologist Jacob Cooper from BBC said that around 1200 BC they were "one of the first civilizations of the Americas"(Lost 0:39 - 0:49).  However, they share some similarities and differences which I will discuss in this blog post.

Olmec head believed to resemble appearance of ruler's



    First and foremost, one thing that was similar between these two sources is that they both mention the climate of Mexico stating that it is "humid tropical, with an average rainfall of more than 2,000 mm and a mean temperature of 27℃"(Gonzalez Lauck 798).  However, the video focuses more on the history of the Olmec and the places they've resided as opposed to the article which only focuses on La Venta.  Another thing that makes these two sources different from each other is that the article discusses what materials the structures and buildings were made of, but the video takes a look at the significance of some of the statues and sculptures made by the Olmec.  For example, were-jaguar statues, which looked like half man half beasts, "would have been seen daily by the Olmec people at sites like San Lorenzo"(Lost 15:10 - 15:24).  This differences are what really set the article and the video apart.


Another video about Olmec history

    Some things that I already knew that were covered in the sources was the fact that the Olmec had a "classic realization of a stratified society with the elite people literally higher looking down on everyone else"(Lost 10:30 - 10:42).  I previously learned about this and other Mesoamerican philosophies in another video by Dr. Sara Ladron at the City College of San Francisco.  Other things that I already knew were some things that I stated in the first paragraph in regards to La Venta being a key feature in Mesoamerican history and that the Olmec were one of the first known civilizations in the Americas.  One thing that I didn't know before that were covered in the sources was that "the natural elevation on which La Venta was constructed is surrounded by a complex and dynamic hydrological system"(Gonzalez Lauck 798).  I was aware that La Venta was closer to water and is the main reason why the Olmec moved there and resulted in La Venta becoming more popular than previous Olmec cities.

Works Cited

“Colossal Olmecs.” Performance by Sara Ladron, YouTube, California Community Colleges, 23 Dec. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdBRvvjKHmg.

Cooper, Jacob, director. Lost Kingdoms of Central America. YouTube, BBC, 29 June 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTuab0SNuPA.


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