Cascajal Block

The Cascajal Block was discovered by road builders in the late 1990s in a pile of debris in the village of Lomas de Tacamichapan in the Veracruz lowlands in the ancient Olmec heartland on the southeastern coast of Mexico [1]. Archaeologists Carmen Rodriguez and Ponciano Ortiz of the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico examined and registered it with government historical authorities [1]. It weighs about 11.5 kilograms and measures 36 by 21 by 13 centimetres [1]. The block holds a total of 62 glyphs, some of which resemble plants such as maize and pineapple, or animals such as insects and fish [1]. Many of the symbols are more abstract boxes or blobs [1]. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry indicates that the block is geologically indistinguishable from serpentinite sourced from Tehuitzingo, Puebla, a site which has acted as the source quarry for other Olmec artifacts [1]. The surface of the block is covered with a uniform patina depleted in silicon and magnesium [1].