The art and religion of the civilization were so powerful that the Olmec is well known as the ‘mother culture’ of Mesoamerica (middle America). The traditions of the Mayas and Aztecs are based on Olmec examples.

The Jaguar god

The powerful art gives a glimpse of their religion. Their art is controlled by fearsome supernatural beings – part human and part animal. The Olmecs used animals from the forest and coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

The most used animal to represent a god was the jaguar. The god was called a were-jaguar. Half jaguar and half man, this god was important to the Olmecs, but he also appears in the later Mayan culture.

Giant Heads Altars, Stelae, and Statues

The artwork can be organized into four categories: giant heads, altars, stelae, and statues. Made from basalt stone, these projects required stone bought from over 60 kilometers.

Fifteen giant heads have been identified as being carved by the Olmec people, they are all heads without bodies.

Large stone altars have been found in the Olmec ruins. They are carved with reliefs of the jaguar theme.

Searchers have found large stone markers called stelae, with figures in scenes or calendar dates carved on them.