Llano del Jicaro quarry supplied basalt for Olmec colossal heads

Monument
The Olmec Head They Never Finished | Megalithomania
Source: The Olmec Head They Never Finished | Megalithomania by MegalithomaniaUK

Site mentioned

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Llano del Jicaro is a rarely visited quarry in the Tuxtla Mountains, Veracruz, identified as the source of the basalt for many Olmec colossal heads. Its blocks show every stage of working, from roughly squared stone to the first hints of a human figure, and carved water channels echo Olmec site systems. ⛏️

Key facts

  • Llano del Jicaro is a rarely visited quarry in the Tuxtla Mountains, Veracruz, Mexico, identified as the source of the stone from which many Olmec colossal heads were carved
  • Blocks at the quarry show varying stages of working, from roughly squared stone to pieces with the beginnings of a human statue
  • Some of these stones may have been destined for major Olmec centres such as San Lorenzo or La Venta
  • Water channels carved into the stone at the site reflect the extensive water-channel systems of Olmec sites
  • Alfredo Delgado identified one partly shaped block as a possible colossal head in the process of being carved

Related stories

Sources

Llano del Jicaro | Ancient Mesoamerica | Cambridge Corecambridge.org
by SD Gillespie · 1994 · Cited by 35 — Llano del Jícaro, Veracruz, is a workshop site where Olmec monuments were carved from exposed boulders of Cerro Cintepec basalt.
The Llano del Rio Cooperative Colonylancastermoah.org
Founded by Job and John Harriman, the Llano del Rio Cooperative Colony has been called the most important non-religious utopian colony in ...
Ruins at Llano Del Rioatlasobscura.com
The ruins are easily accessible off of westbound CA 138, where there is a large dirt area to pull off. Driving through the ruins (even on the ...
Mining Museumllanoriverrailroad.org
Two ore carts were brought to Llano County from a gold mine in Colorado. The carts ran on tracks and were used to remove ore from the mine for processing.
Llano del Jícaro. Un taller de monumentos olmecarevistas.inah.gob.mx
by SD Gillespie · Cited by 3 — Llano del Jícaro. Un taller de monumentos olmeca. (1996). Arqueología, 16, 29-42. https://revistas.inah.gob.mx/index.php/arqueologia/article/view/12512.
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