Monument 19 at La Venta is the earliest known depiction of the feathered serpent in Mesoamerica. The 1400–400 BC range refers to La Venta’s broader occupation; the monument is generally placed within roughly 1200–400 BC, and its exact date is uncertain. No earlier feathered-serpent version is known. “Timeless” and “masterfully executed” are aesthetic judgments, not archaeological findings. Monument 19 marks an early stage in an iconographic tradition that continued for millennia.
Monument 19 is Mesoamerica’s earliest known feathered serpent

Site mentioned
Key facts
- Monument 19 at La Venta is identified as the earliest known feathered-serpent depiction in Mesoamerica.
- The 1400–400 BC range describes La Venta’s broader occupation; the supplied record dates Monument 19 to 1200–400 BC, and its exact date is uncertain.
- No earlier feathered-serpent version is known, but “timeless” and “masterfully executed” are aesthetic judgments and are not attributed to archaeologists by the cited results.
- Monument 19 is an early example in the long-lived Mesoamerican feathered-serpent iconographic tradition.
Sources
File:Olmec Monument 19, La Venta, 1300-400 BC.jpgcommons.wikimedia.org
Olmec Monument 19, La Venta, 1300-400 BC.jpg Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixels. Other resolutions: 320 × 213 pixels | 640 × 427 pixels |
AA.01.0442 | Ancient Americas at LACMAancientamericas.org
Drawing of Carving on Monument 19 from La Venta Depicting a Seated Figure in the Coil of a Serpent. Artist: Schele or Reilly? Medium: Black ink on mylar.
La Venta - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Monument 19, from La Venta, the earliest known representation of a feathered serpent in Mesoamerica. Courtesy George & Audrey Delange. Altars 4 & 5. edit.
"La Venta, Monument [photo 05]" by Carl L. Thurmanscholarworks.uni.edu
Monumental sized carved basalt sculputre of serpent and human. Description: La Venta, Monument 19, Fantastic Serpent. Comments. La Venta is a pre-Columbian ...
Olmec (circa 1400-400 BCE) Monument 19, from La Venta, Tabasco ...tumblr.com
The early Olmec feathered serpent, as shown here, is thought to have acted as a forerunner for many Mesoamerican deities.
Olmec Monument 19 from La Venta - MEGALITHOMANIAmegalithomania.creator-spring.com
Features a single-ply hood, tag-free neck label, and dyed-to-match drawcord. Also includes triple-needle top coverstitching along cuffs, waistband, ...
Monument 19, La Venta, Tabasco. "Seated man in serpent" ...alienexplorations.blogspot.com
"Seated man in serpent" (1200 - 400BC, discovered in 1955) The feathered serpent portrayed here combines the natures of the two traditional animal vehicles of ...
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.
