Olmec Giant Stone Heads Mystery Solved?

that is a brilliant idea
im going to have a look at the olmecs now sound cool
it makes alot of sence we still do it 2day
theres statues outside old trafford of manchester united legends

An excellent theory Slayer Whether it could be proven is another matter but nice to see someone thinking laterally about these things - and I do especially like the way the theory explains the 'helmets' some of the heads appear to be wearing.

We idolise and worship sports stars today and I see no reason why our ancestors may not have done likewise.

I totally agree that the heads represent indigenous people. And it may be that if the top "sports stars" needed to be of a certain build, that they tended to have physical features different from, say, an artisan. Just as today you don't get many top astronomers or fashon designers looking like Mike Tyson!

As an aside, I was always find of the idea that stone circles in Britain might have just been sportsgrounds ....... though to be honest I dropped the idea when I realised how small some of them are.

Way to go Slay! That is an awesome theory, and I believe it could be true. I have seen alot of those pics before, and never put 2 & 2 together. Good job man! S & F!!

Amazing! I teach world history and I have had many students suggest similar ideas of the Olmec. I must say I agree with your findings.

Perhaps this will teach us that the secret of life is really "sports".

First off I must give you credit for a well researched thread, as a Native American I TOTALLY disagree with the theory that these indigenous people are of African descent. All of the quotes made by another poster here are "THEORIES", not fact.

Here is a quote from one source:

The great majority of scholars who specialise in Mesoamerican history, archaeology and linguistics remain unconvinced by these speculations.[34] Many are more critical and regard the promotion of such unfounded theories as a form of ethnocentric racism at the expense of indigenous Americans.[35] The consensus view maintained across publications in peer-reviewed academic journals that are concerned with Mesoamerican and other pre-Columbian research is that the Olmec and their achievements arose from influences and traditions that were wholly indigenous to the region, or at least the New World, and there is no reliable material evidence to suggest otherwise.[36] They, and their neighbouring cultures with whom they had contact, developed their own characters which were founded entirely on a remarkably interlinked and ancient cultural and agricultural heritage that was locally shared, but arose quite independently of any extra-hemispheric influences.[37]

en.wikipedia.org...

Now, in regards to your theory of them being ball players, I am not so sure about that either simply due to the fact that many of the ball players were part of sacrificial rituals. The game which is known as Pok Ta Pok by the Maya and Tlachtli by the Aztec often ended in the death of the losing team.
The rubber ball only had to pass through the stone hoop once for a victory.

Below is an image that depicts how the game was played, however the actual hoop was smaller, the ball barely passed through which is why only one point had to be scored for a win.




I lived in the Yucatan for sometime and can tell you that the ball court in Chichen Itza is a sight to behold, it is also the largest of all the Mesoamerican ball courts.




Incidentally, near the court there is a square wall which contains a mound which I believe was for displaying the heads of the decapitated losers. The stone walls were adorned with many individual cases which I believe was to honor those who were sacrificed.

www.bbc.co.uk...

As with anything in the past, what we have to go on are artifacts, stories passed down, DNA testing, etc. To date there is ZERO solid evidence that supports the African colonization theory that to me attempts to deny the strong culture of the native people of this continent.

As someone who has also lived in the region I can tell you that the Mayan people in particular have a body structure and a language unlike no other on the planet.

Peace people. Pay attention to what is going on in 2012, it isn't superstition, it is a cycle the earth goes through and ALL of the ancient civilizations knew it and recognized it.

Teahupoo



[edit on 3/14/2009 by Teahupoo]
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[edit on Mon Mar 16 2009 by Jbird]

reply to post by SLAYER69


Very similar to Xmas Island, how and why did they do it.
They must have been extreemly well skilled, either that or
Aliens did it.

The stadium, I don't think it was for friendly sports.
Like all civilizations, they would of had good and bad people.
It looks more like freedom at one end if you can make it through the
gauntlet. Once you were in the middle, no way out.

Those faces were scattered all over the place, like others that put
skulls on sticks to scare others away. If you were walking through a forest
and came across one of these, you would feel rather intimated and
small by comparison. And the size representing their strengh.

reply to post by SLAYER69




Amazing slayer, I always thought they looked Asian as well, and some of the more isolated tribes still look more Asian.


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[edit on Mon Mar 16 2009 by Jbird]

Here are the Nemrut Heads of Gods in Adiyaman
www.asistanturistik.com...
Originally the statues were once seated on thrones, do you think the Olmec heads could have once been seated on thrones too?

www.cromwell-intl.com...
terracotta warriors
upload.wikimedia.org...

Also if you check out the artwork of both cultures you will find similarities.

mcguinnessonline.com...

then there is the famous Chinese dragon and Quetzalcoatl
www.dragonstouch.co.uk...

cosmic monsters, gods and serpents in Guatemala's northern jungle that are the oldest known depictions of a famous Mayan creation myth.

in.reuters.com...=1

and the myths as well, it is all connected.

[edit on 103131p://bSaturday2009 by Stormdancer777]

[edit on 103131p://bSaturday2009 by Stormdancer777]

Along with all the overwhelming evidence that the Olmec were transplants of an African culture (Google for sources), there is also DNA evidence linking the Olmec to Africa. There's also a strong correlation between the Mande language and Olmec writing.

HISTORY OLMECS GENETICS - Africa Y Chromosome

The Xi peoples migrated thru China into the south pacific / Polynesia and on to South America.

Olmecs & Mother Africa
The Olmecs were the first Mesoamerican people to fathom the concept of zero, maintain a calendar, and use a hieroglyphic writing system based on the Manding system of West Africa. These intellectual achievements, as well as Olmec myths and rituals, were influential in the subsequent Maya, Zapotec, and Aztec cultures.

wow. alot of time spent thier. very interesting.

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[edit on Mon Mar 16 2009 by Jbird]

reply to post by Teahupoo


Thank you for your contribution but the ball courts you're referring to are later versions of the games which had a stone hoop. These are from a much earlier period where they had no hoops.

And yes the losers were sacrificed I agree. But the winners would play on with all their battle scars and as far as the heavy rounded faces I'm pretty sure that weight had a lot to do with over powering the opponent.

I say and again this is just conjecture on my part, that this game would have been played by children for fun and by the time they competed they would have built up their skills enough to compete so it would not be a bunch of amateurs playing but rather individuals who had considerable skills.











[edit on 14-3-2009 by SLAYER69]

Originally posted by Teahupoo

Now, in regards to your theory of them being ball players, I am not so sure about that either simply due to the fact that many of the ball players were part of sacrificial rituals. The game which is known as Pok Ta Pok by the Maya and Tlachtli by the Aztec often ended in the death of the losing team.
The rubber ball only had to pass through the stone hoop once for a victory.

Below is an image that depicts how the game was played, however the actual hoop was smaller, the ball barely passed through which is why only one point had to be scored for a win.




I lived in the Yucatan for sometime and can tell you that the ball court in Chichen Itza is a sight to behold, it is also the largest of all the Mesoamerican ball courts.




Incidentally, near the court there is a square wall which contains a mound which I believe was for displaying the heads of the decapitated losers. The stone walls were adorned with many individual cases which I believe was to honor those who were sacrificed.

As someone who has also lived in the region I can tell you that the Mayan people in particular have a body structure and a language unlike no other on the planet.

There seems to be confusion of the time line I found this, it gives us an idea of the time line I'm speaking of although I agree with the later period courts being awesome I'm referring to the much earlier culture of the Olmecs
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/716717fd4ac6.jpg[/atsimg]

I wasn't debunking your theory, Slay, just offering an insight of my own. I do believe that there is the possibility that you are correct just as there is also a possibility that they are royalty or that they were built to frighten intruders.

I also agree with the posts that the people more closely resemble Asian features which by the way has been genetically linked with the indigenous people of the Americas.

This Continent would be far better off if Columbus had never lost his way and stumbled upon our shores.

T

"Native American" NOT Indian

reply to post by Teahupoo


Thanks.
No I wasn't disagreeing with you. I just wanted to show that there was a drastic difference in the ages between the cultures.

Here is another link I wasn't going to post but it does have some rather interesting information of the level of technology they displayed in their engineering skills. This is a fascinating read I highly recommend taking the time to go through it.


Olmec

Olmec civilization initially flourished at the site of San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán in southern Veracruz province from 1200 to 900 b.c.e. Some radiocarbon dating indicates a presence as early as 1500 b.c.e., and early Olmec settlers may have inhabited the area even before this time. However, most of the site’s monuments that distinguish this civilization date from the mid-1100’s b.c.e. Another important Olmec center, La Venta, in Tabasco province, functioned between 800-400 b.c.e.

These Olmec sites were not true cities but impressive political and religious centers run by an elite of religious specialists and ruling families. Artisans and farmers also figured among their inhabitants. Monumental structures, such as huge platforms 3,000 feet (914 meters) long, 1,000 feet (305 meters) wide, and reaching heights of 150 feet (46 meters), as well as pyramids, altars, and tombs, indicate that these centers served as gathering places for religious rituals and burial sites for the leadership.

At San Lorenzo, elaborate drainage systems and hydraulic works were constructed from joined sections of U-shaped carved stones covered with capstones. These constructions served as aqueducts that channeled water into sacred and decorative pools and created fresh streams running throughout the complex for drinking and bathing. Some flow was also diverted for waste runoff.

The scope of massive labor-intensive projects at these sites suggests the existence of Mesoamerica’s first political state, which exercised strong governmental control and direction over the farming populace.

Great work Slayer69. Here’s my contribution to your thread.

The Basque People had legends of giants which they called the Jentilak. These giants were known for their stone throwing abilities. This is the mythical explanation for the large scattered boulders throughout Western Europe. This Basque legend is thought to have been the inspiration for the ball game called Pilota.

The Pilota ball court looks strikingly similar to the Mesoamerican ball court.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/fe73c730f4997f1a.jpg[/atsimg]

I believe there’s a missing culture that ties these two continents together.

Check out my thread below.
The Olmec and ancient Basque peoples share a common myth

Google Video Link

Found on the belt of an olmec ball player

reply to post by parishdevin

We are currently unable to show your videos. Please check back later.

An elephant found in olmec territory native to only africa and western asia


link




[mod edit: shortened long link skewing page view]

[edit on 14-3-2009 by 12m8keall2c]

reply to post by parishdevin


I posted a good link to a previous ATS post regarding that on the first page check it out.