La Venta

La Venta Park, Villahermosa, Tabasco

These critters were wild running everywhere. La Venta is one of the famous locations where the original Colossal Olmec heads were found.

The Olmec are said to be firsts, a civilization dated around 1400 BCE. The water ways throughout the gulf provided for passageways and an abundant uprising in population. The higher classes prized jade, obsidian and magnetite collected from Guatemala and near-by resources.

The Olmec favored animal portrayals in their art. The Jaguar was common amoung the pictures that I took in La Venta.

There is a baby in the arms of a man who wears the symbol of a jaguar on his head. This is said to be a tribute/sacrifice to the inbetween world.

This one I let borrow my bottle of shampoo...let me tell you, she felt like it had been thousands of years since the last wash.


Here is one of the colossal heads that continues to maintain its shape despite the out door museum. What a treat to see something of this magnitude; size and age, out in the open, like it has been since the day it was conceived.


Another underworld carving. Maybe an alter or table. This figure is holding onto a rope and features of the jaguar are carved into the face.