Olmec Head
Title
Olmec Head
Description
In 1978, the National Museum of Natural History hosted "Treasures of Mexico: From the Mexican National Museum" that featured this large stone Olmec head. The Olmecs lived in south-central Mexico from approximately 1400 BC to 400 BC and are considered Mexico's earliest prominent civilization. The head weighed 5 tons and required a special steel-frame platform to display it safely inside the museum. In this photograph, riggers are unloading the head at the Mall entrance of the Museum.
Creator
Source
Smithsonian Institution Archives. View original.
Date
1978 (delivered to Smithsonian)
Coverage
Rights
No restrictions.
Appearance
Created between 1000 and 800 BC, the sculpture is a part the Olmec civilization's art legacy of "colossal head" statues. The Olmec head was discovered in 1946 by a Smithsonian anthropoligst.
Size
5 tons