FIRST CONTACTS 28000 BCE 1821 CE
PRE COLUMBIAN AMERICA
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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painted clay
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architectural structure
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cut and hammered gold
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basalt sculpture
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ceramic, white on red slip
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Detailed explanation-1: -The Olmec are probably best known for the statues they carved: 20 ton stone heads, quarried and carved to commemorate their rulers.
Detailed explanation-2: -The heads were each carved from a single basalt boulder which in some cases were transported 100 km or more to their final destination, presumably using huge balsa river rafts wherever possible and log rollers on land. The principal source of this heavy stone was Cerro Cintepec in the Tuxtla Mountains.
Detailed explanation-3: -The Olmec civilization, which thrived along Mexico’s Gulf Coast from about 1200 to 400 B.C., was the first major Mesoamerican culture. The Olmec were extremely talented artists, and their most lasting artistic contribution is without a doubt the enormous sculpted heads they created.
Detailed explanation-4: -The Olmec transported these massive basalt boulders by means of the region’s meandering rivers, where they were used for thrones, altars, stelae, and colossal heads. These heads, striking in their individuality, are thought to depict the ancient rulers.