From what I have heard and read in the past, the best guess is that they were carved and placed to honor the great ball players of the era or they were representations of Olmec rulers dressed in ball player gear. All of them represent unique faces... read more
Based on the range of locations where these have been discovered and the range of headdress motifs from jaguar themes to what may be ball-game helmets; it is very likely that the stone heads represent individual rulers of the sites where they were placed. read more
Seventeen Olmec colossal heads have been found: 10 at San Lorenzo, four at La Venta, two at Tres Zapotes and one at La Cobata. Creating the Colossal Heads The creation of these heads was a significant undertaking. read more
The stone head sculptures of the Olmec civilization of the Gulf Coast of Mexico (1200 BCE - 400 BCE) are amongst the most mysterious and debated artefacts from the ancient world. The most agreed upon theory is that, because of their unique physical features and the difficulty and cost involved in their creation, they represent Olmec rulers. read more