Mexican Historty Photo Page

Photos from John Tarleton's Brief, Irreverent History of Mexico

"La Fiesta de Maiz" por Diego Rivera, 1923-24 "The Corn Festival" by Diego Rivera, 1923-24

Colossal Olmec head found near the border of modern-day Veracruz and Tobasco. The Olmecs flourished along the coast of Southeastern Mexico from 1200 B.C. to 600 B.C., making them the oldest Meso-american civilization. Why did the Olmecs carve statues like this one? And who are they supposed to represent? Tribal leaders? Revered ancestors? Or, people who were beheaded in a ritual ballgame that served as a fertility ritual? The answer, like almost everything else about the Olmecs, remains unclear.

"La Danza del Vendadito" por Diego Rivera, 1928 "The Deer Dance" by Diego Rivera, 1928