thlocation 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 tskirts ofexico city, archaeologts 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 evidentlyy 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

even western mexico, funneled into chalcatzingo and then moved eastward toward the gulf coast. obrego in the valley of mexico, on the outskirts of mexico city, archaeologists 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 evidentlyy 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 vt 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 occasional

mexico, at sites such san loren, la venta, tres zapotes near the gulf coast, and tlatilco and chalcatzingo in the highlands. in the 18th and 19th centuries, finely carved jades from mesoamerica began to appear in museums and private collections. no one knew what to make of them. some were labeled chinese, others maya or aztec. in 1862, farmer's discovery of a he stone head at tres zapotes triggered speculation that it had be carved by africans who had immigrated the americas. newsreel announcer: pulling it for two hos ov swampland is the last ste of our trip to the spot whe we hope to find the big stone heads of which we ha hrd exciti rumors. obregon: archaeologist matthew stirng setutn 1939 tonravel the mystery o these strange works of art, which by then were being called "olmec." sponsored by the smhsoniainstitut the al raphic s veled thifemari to mexico, launchinthe exvations on the southergulf coast no onenew how old the olmec culture was. many thought it was contemporary or later than tssic maya, w oush from 300 to 9 a.d. newsreel announcer: and here is our objective: tres zapotes, ou