may be offerings to spirits dwelling deep within the earth. their hidden presence may have charged the sacred precinct with spiritual energy. the olmec world was alive with unseen spirits that controlled all natural phenomena. thunder cracks ) represent the power of these mysterious forces, olmec artists combined features of the most fearsome predators of the jungle, creating hybrid images of awe- inspiring supernatural beings. irual leer or shans, li humanto the fors controinthe uner peleelieved that the sha could sl io epraess, and magically transform themselves

tohepe oa jaguar transported by thianimal spirit, they road e cosmos gaining knowledge that allowed them to ensure rich harvests, heal the sick and protect the community. rulers also claimed the power to mediate between human and spiritual realms. some are shown cradling a supernatural infant-- part human, part jaguar-- who may have been their link to the spiritual world. similar figures appear on sculptures found at la venta thtirling me to be altars. but decades later, a clue to their true function was discovered far from the coast, at thentainous site of oxtotitclan. its name means "place of caves," which ancient mesoamericans regarded as sacred entrances to the underrld, the mythic realm of ancestral and supernatural spirits.

a rock painting above the cave mouth shows a ruler wearing a bird mask and feathered costume. his elaborate throne depicts a monstrous supernatural face, similar to those on the so-called alta of la venta, incating thath, too, were ros. prious research proposed that la venta was exclusively a site where priests resided and conducted ritual activities. however, new research has shown that it was a more complex urban area. new speaker: with the new findings, we find a much more dense population, not only on the site, on the ancient city, but also in the outlying lowland areas. obregon: dr. nzalez has ao been studying the central pyramid

gonzalez: this pyramid is, for this time period--around 400 b.c.-- probly the largest pyramid he oec world at that time. the olmecs seem to have packed earth and then held it in place by rows of limestone. obregon: electronic sounding devices have detected a dense, rectangular object, possibly a tb, close to the summit. futu excavions may reveal that this manmade mountain waa rial mou fo olmer. the extrrdinary achievements at la nta and san lorenzo were long thought toe uniqueo the cotal lowlands. but ongoing excavations far from the coast indicate otherwise. in the shadow of the volcano popocatepetl in the mexican highlands chalcatzingo, an ancient regional center at i height om arnd 700 to 0 b.c.

new speaker: chalcatzin is a unique site in the central mexican highlands. it's the only site in the highlands with bas-relief carvings in the olm style the ancient village of chalcatzingo, set on a terraced hillside-- these were large terraces, perhaps 100 by 100 meters each, at the largest. below the main terrace is a ge platformound. is a large ctgular form, over 70 mers lon platrm mounds e ry speal features. unlike a pyramid, a platform can be considered to be a raised stage on which performances, rituals, were carried out that could be viewed by the entire population. a large stone slab carved with an earth monster face with a hollow mouth sat on the northern edge of that platform mound, again where it was visible to the houses on all the terraces below. i can almost imagine a ritual with people moving through that open mouth of that carving.

obregon: higher up the volcanic ss is a relief sculpture at t local pple call "el y," the king. like the thres ala venta, it shows the figure seated within a cave. grov above the cave are three trobed rn ouds. this is a fantastic rain and fertility scene up on the hillside. it's placed right beside the major drainage of rainwater runoff from the hillside. thhiside cvi seem to ben petions to ensure ertili for thpeopel onhe far weshe ths ry monent, which call the "flyinolme" when i first saw it, i noticed that the headdress on the flying person was very much like nument 19 in la vea. not identical, but they were carved in theame way. so there is a connection in some of the art at chaltzingo with la venta's art.

thlocati of chalcatzingo, a huge series of valley systems coming together, sort of suggests that maybe chalcaingo functioned as a gateway city through which goods from across central mexico, and perhaps even western mexico, funneled into chalcatzingo and then moved eastward toward the gulf coast. obre in the valley of mexico,n the outskirts ofexico city, archologts have excavated graves from about 900 b.c. containing clay figures and pottery of the olmec style. other olmec objects have been found in the surrounding highlands and as far south as honduras and costa rica. the wide distribution of olmec works of art suggests that many centers participated in the development of the style. distt vies were evidenyany linked through trade in cacao, white clay for pottery, obsidian, animal skins, and the most precious commodity of all, jade.

its nearest known source is in guatemala. this vast tradg network paved the way for the exchange of ideas aselas goo, and led to the ergence of a pan-mesoameran olmec style. miguel covarrubias defined this new aesthetic: "olmec artists were mainly concerned with simplicity and sensual realism of form, with the human being made up of solid, ample masses. they delighted in the smooth, highly polished surfaces of their jades, broken occasionally by fine, incised lines. these lines are sharp and precise." this new style, vigorous and original, was perhaps the finest olmec achievement.

they created dynamic works of art with a strength and nobility never known before in the americas. the olmec legacy is still being explored, but olmec works of art have been found at maya and aztec sites. did later civilizations preserve olmec jades simply for the value of this precious material, or did they keep them as treasured relics from a culture that influenced their own? only future excavations will tell. but major discoverieare being unearthed each year, bringing us closer to a fuller understanding of that extraordinary culture we call olmec. ( ve drums beating ) ( music )

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