Finding such grooves and pits on Olmec stone monuments may indicate that people started treating freestanding sculptures conceptually similar to rock art. Although not entirely clear, ...

Nonetheless, Monument 9 portrays the same cave as two other sculptures at the site, which are carved directly into the rock surface of the mountain. Monument 9 is significant, as it denotes the ...

All Olmec sculpture was created for a purpose, whether it be religious or political. In the case of Monument 9, it clearly pertains to the Earth, which in Mesoamerica was considered a sacred ...

Olmec colossal heads, such as this one unearthed in the 19th century at the site of Tres Zapotes, are thought to be portraits of all-powerful kings.(De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images) On a ...

The Olmec heads are among the largest non-architectural monuments ever discovered in Mexico, ranging between roughly 3.5 and 11.5 feet in height and weighing up to eight tons, with the largest of ...

"This monument is a key piece for research on Olmec iconography, which is why we receive this news with joy and enthusiasm,” archaeologist Mario Córdova Tello said in an INAH statement.

Known as Monument 9 of Chalcatzingo and found in the central Mexican state of Morelos, the bas-relief piece is believed to represent an "Earth monster," a creature that often appears in Olmec ...

Monument 9, a 2,600-year-old, one-ton stone carving, was returned to Mexico from the United States in May. Mexico has repatriated more than 13,000 cultural artifacts since 2019. Stone by Ancient ...

Olmec Trails takes people on a physical and historical journey with 33 installments across multiple towns. Latest U.S.

An Olmec structure at the archaeological site in Chalcatzingo. Ihiroalfonso/Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA Sadly, Monument 9, which was recently returned to Mexico, was looted from the site , so its ...