Seated Female Olmec Figure With Polished Hematite Disk

MessageToEagle | September 12, 2015 | Ancient Mysteries, Ancient World, Artifacts | No Comments

MessageToEagle.com – The Olmec developed an iconic and sophisticated artistic style as early as the second millennium BC. This civilization is best known for the creation of colossal heads carved from giant boulders that have fascinated the public and archaeologists alike since they were discovered in the mid-19th century.

The monumental heads remain among ancient America’s most awe-inspiring and beautiful masterpieces today.

Olmec jade figurine — Seated female figure with polished hematite disk, Mexico, Tabasco, La Venta, Mound A-2, Tomb A (Columnar Tomb) 900-500 BC Jadeite and hematite 7.7 x 4.7 x 3.8 cm. Image credit: Museo Nacional de Antropología. Mexico City Photo: Consejo Nacional para La Cultura y Las Artes- INAH- Mexico- Javier Hinojosa

Among them, there is a small jadeite and hematite seated female figure that was found at what is thought to have been the burial site of an elite Olmec woman.

The figurine has her hands clasped to her chest, below a piece of polished hematite, which the Olmec used for mirrors.

Researchers believe the Olmec regarded mirrors as an entryway from the underworld to the living, and they were used in ritual and burial events. Only powerful, highly respected people in Olmec society are thought to have had them.

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