Olmec Trade Networks Spanned Over 100 Miles. Basalt came from the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas volcanic belt approximately 90 miles away Serpentine (green and blue stone used as jade) came from the Maya world over 100 miles away Over 5,000 tons of serpentine mosaic stone was transported for caches
The Olmec received basalt from 90 miles away and serpentine from over 100 miles in the Maya world, yet their own heartland provided no resources. Caches contain over 5,000 tons of serpentine mosaic stone, with one containing 30 stacked layers weighing over a ton, all buried at once and never publicly displayed. Researchers theorize they traded esoteric knowledge and celestial navigation rather than goods, which then spread throughout Mesoamerica when other civilizations arose.
Key Facts
- Basalt came from the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas volcanic belt approximately 90 miles away
- Serpentine (green and blue stone used as jade) came from the Maya world over 100 miles away
- Over 5,000 tons of serpentine mosaic stone was transported for caches
- Five known caches exist, with one cache containing 30 stacked layers weighing over a ton
- These caches were created and buried all at once, never displayed publicly
- The Olmecs received no resources from their own heartland
- They likely traded esoteric knowledge, cosmological wisdom, and celestial navigation in return
- This knowledge spread throughout Mesoamerica when other civilizations arose
Related site: San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán Museum — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The Olmec Mystery (Live Presentation) by Luke Caverns