Chapter 16 Chapter 16 The Sanctuary of the Snake God

Leaving the excellent city of Pula, we drove all the way east, passing through the bustling cities of Puebla, Orizaba and Cordoba, to the port of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico. ) on our way through the cloud-shrouded peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental, soaking up the cool mountain air before descending to sea level and driving through lush tropical landscapes of palms and bananas on the plain.We are entering the birthplace of Mexico's oldest and most mysterious civilization, the Olmec civilization.The name Olmec means "rubber man". The history of the Olmec civilization can be traced back to 2000 BC, but this ancient civilization disappeared 1500 years before the rise of the Aztide Empire.However, the Aztecs did preserve many moving legends about the Olmecs, even calling them "rubber men" - according to legend, they lived in the rubber-producing regions of the Gulf Coast.Today, the area is located between the Puerto Veracruz to the west and Ciudad del Carmen to the east.Here the Aztecs found some ancient ceremonial objects made by the Olmecs; for unknown reasons, they enshrined these objects in their temples with great reverence.

I looked at the map in my hand and found that the place where the COatzecoalcos River flows into the Gulf of Mexico is the legendary home of the Olmecs.Oil has replaced rubber as the region's main industry, transforming a tropical paradise into Dante's lowest level of hell. Since the massive oil extraction in 1973, Kozhicox, a peaceful but not very rich town, has suddenly been transformed into a transportation and oil refining center, with several air-conditioned hotels and a population of 500,000.Its location is right in the heart of the smoky industrial area.The historical relics and monuments that escaped the Spanish looting were all swallowed up by the rapidly expanding and greedy oil industry.Therefore, we cannot find conclusive evidence at present to confirm or refute some rumors circulating in Central America that a great event happened here a long time ago.

As I recall, the place name "Kozhicox" means "Sanctuary of the Snake God".According to legend, in ancient times, Quetzalcotel and his disciples landed in Mexico here—they crossed the sea from the other side of the world in ships "with hulls as shiny as snakeskin".It was here that Quetzalcotel set sail on a "snake raft" and left Central America.In my feeling, "Snake Sanctuary" is more and more like the name of the Olmec hometown - it covers the area besides Kozhicox City, including several cities that have not been invaded by industry. towns and villages.

First in Tres Zapotes to the west of Kozhicox, then to the south and east in San Lorenzo and La Venta (ls, Venta), countless typical Olmec Sculptures were unearthed one after another.These artifacts are all hewn from a single block of basalt or other durable stone.Some depict colossal heads weighing up to 30 tons; others are monumental steles depicting two distinct-looking races—neither of them American Indians—meeting The artisans who produced these outstanding works of art must have belonged to a sophisticated, highly organized, prosperous and technologically advanced civilization.The problem facing scholars is this: Apart from works of art, there is nothing left of this civilization for posterity to search for its origins and nature.All that is certain is that the "Olmecs" (what archaeologists generally accept as the Aztec term for this people) suddenly appeared around 1500 BC with a fully developed and highly refined culture in Central America.

More than 30 tons of giant sculptures of human heads We spent the night at a fishing port called Alvarado and continued our journey the next day, heading east.The road winds through fertile hills and valleys, occasionally opening up to glimpses of the Gulf of Mexico before turning inland.We walked through the green pastures full of poincianas, passing small villages hidden in the valleys, and from time to time we saw a group of huge fat pigs in the garden, haunting the garbage dumps to search for food.Then we climbed a steep hill, and before us lay a vast expanse of fields and forests.The distant mountains are misty in the morning mist, standing dimly on the edge of the forest.

After a few more miles we went downhill into a deep valley.There is a town crouching at the bottom of the valley, which was a colonial city founded by the Spaniards, named San Diego Tuxtla (Santingo Tuxtla).The whole town is full of brilliant colors: fancy storefronts, bright red roofs, bright yellow straw hats, green coconut trees and banana trees, and children wearing colorful clothes.Several shops and cafes broadcast loud music to the whole city through loudspeakers.In Zocalo square in the center of the city, the air is very humid and hot; flocks of tropical birds with big bright eyes are flapping their wings and singing loudly.A small park with sparse branches and leaves is located in the center of the square.In the center of the park, like a charm, stands a huge gray pebble, about 10 feet high, carved with the head of an African man in an iron helmet.His lips are thick, his nostrils are large, his eyes are peacefully closed, his chin is pressed against the ground, and his whole head exudes a gloomy and heavy atmosphere.

Herein lies the first mystery left to us by the Olmecs: a colossal statue made more than 2,000 years ago depicting a man with distinctly black features.Of course, there were no black Africans in America 2,000 years ago. It was not until the whites conquered America that blacks were captured as slaves.Yet human fossils discovered by archaeologists show that one of the many races that migrated to America during the last ice age was black Africans.This great migration took place around 15,000 BC. The colossal statue in Zocalo Square was named "Cobata" (C0bata) because it was unearthed at the Cobata estate.So far, there are as many as 16 Olmec statues of this type that have been excavated in various parts of Mexico, and the Zocalo Plaza statue is the largest one.Experts believe that it was carved shortly before the birth of Jesus Christ and weighed more than 30 tons.

Olmec culture earlier than Mayan culture From the town of Santiago Tuxtla, we headed 25 kilometers southwest through green countryside to Tres Zapote.The ancient city arose between 500 BC and 100 AD and was a center of the late Olmec culture.Today, only a few mounds remain of the original site, scattered among the cornfields. From 1939 to 1940, American archaeologist Matthew Stirling carried out large-scale excavations here. Orthodox historians insist that the Maya culture is the oldest civilization in Mesoamerica.They say they can be absolutely sure that's true, because the Maya's dot-and-line calendar, which has only recently been deciphered, allows them to accurately date a large number of inscriptions.According to such identification, the earliest inscriptions unearthed from Mayan cultural sites should be made in 228 AD ③.Therefore, when Sterling unearthed a stele with an earlier date engraved on it in the ancient city of Tres Zapote, the entire academic world was shocked.The date recorded on the stele with Mayan-style dotted-line symbols, converted into the Western calendar, is September 3, 32 BC ④.

The most shocking thing is that the ancient city of Tres Zapote is not a Mayan cultural site at all.It is entirely Olmec - there is no doubt about it.The stele discovered by Sterling proves that it was the Olmecs who created the calendar, not the Mayans, and the Olmec culture is the real "mother culture" of Mesoamerica.The orthodox academia, respected by the Maya, deliberately suppressed Sterling's major discovery in the ancient city of Triszapot, but the truth will not be sealed forever.The Olmec culture is indeed much older than the Mayan culture.The Olmecs are an intelligent, civilized, and technologically advanced nation.They invented the calendar, which marked the dates with dotted symbols, and began the era with a mysterious date-August 13, 3114 BC.

Next to the calendar stele, Sterling also unearthed a huge human head.Right now, I'm sitting in front of this statue.It was made around 100 BC⑤.It is about 6 feet high, 18 feet in circumference, and weighs more than 10 tons.Like the statue in Santiago Tuxtla, it shows the head of an African man—wearing a tight-fitting helmet, a long chin strap, pierced ears, and exposed nose on either side. There are deep grooves, plump and drooping lips, and two big eyes are coldly open, like two almonds.Under the strange helmet, two thick eyebrows were raised high, showing a look of anger. When the statue was dug up, Sterling was taken aback.He said:

This is a human head, carved out of a huge block of basalt, standing on a plinth made of rough stone slabs... After clearing the surrounding soil, it immediately showed a daunting aura.Despite the bulk, the carving is very meticulous and sophisticated, and the proportions of the facial features are well-proportioned and perfect.Unlike most Native American sculptures, it uses a realistic carving method.The lines of the facial features are simple and powerful, showing the unique facial features of black people...⑤ Soon after, the American archaeologist unearthed another amazing antiquity in the ancient city of Tres Zapote: a puppy on wheels.This is obviously a toy for children at that time⑦.These small and lovely handicrafts have overturned a common concept in the archaeological community in one fell swoop-general archaeologists believe that the natives of Central America did not know how to use wheels until after the Spanish invasion.The "dog cart" discovered by Sterling at least proves that the Olmecs, who represent the oldest civilization in Central America, understand the "principle" of the wheel.The Olmecs are a very intelligent people.Now that they understand the principle of the wheel, they will naturally apply it to other utensils other than children's toys. Notes: ① "Baishen and Shimei", pp. 139-140. ② Same as above, page 125. ③ "Mexico", page 637.See also The Ancient Kingdom of Mexico, p. 24. ④Ibid. ⑤ "Mexico", page 638. ⑥ Matthew Sterling, "Discovering America's Oldest Artwork", "National Geographic", Vol. 76, August 1939, pp. 183-218.The statue is mentioned throughout the text. Matthew W． Stirling, "Discovering the New Worlds Oldest Dated Work of Man," Nationl. Geographic Magazine, Volume 76, August 1939, pp. 183－218 psssim． ⑦Marti Sterling, "Huge Stone Faces in the Mexican Jungle", National Geographic, Vol. 78, September 1940, pp. 310, 314. Matthew W． Stirling, "Great Stone Faces of the Mexican Jungle", National Geographic Magazine, Volume 78, September 1940, pp. 314, 310