The Olmecs

[1dave]

I was researching the olmecs and found this!



What? Olmecs came from Ethiopia?

"Here’s Why Identical “Black” Olmec Statues In Mexico And Ethiopia DOESN’T PROVE A Thing"

urbanintellectuals.com/heres-identical-black-olmec-statue-mexico-ethiopia-doesnt-prove-thing/

I’ve seen a meme going around. It shows a Mexican Olmec statue, broad nosed, full lipped and almond eyed, in place in Mexico. Many of these have been found, many believe they provide proof that African people made it to North America LONG before Columbus, that maybe the original Americans were even West African sailors.

Then the meme shows an extremely similar statue in Ethiopia. WOW! I must admit, for a second that blew my mind, how damn cool is that! PROOF!!!!!! But, wait….

The meme has been shared so many times it can’t be counted, with people commenting that they knew all along and slapping down anyone who questions it as “trolls”, “racists” and “haters”!

And below is the meme:

BUT this is the internet and we need due diligence! RESEARCH EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THE INTERNET! EVEN THE WORDS I AM WRITING NOW…..

It’s true, there is an Olmec statue in Ethiopia, in fact, the two statues in this above image are the same one, well one is a replica to be exact (Just one is squashed in the image)! You can see if you look closer.

So, what happened? Wikipedia says:

To commemorate Mexico’s assistance to Ethiopia during its occupation by Italy; Ethiopia named a center square in Addis Ababa “Mexico Square”. In 2010, the Mexican government donated a replica of an Olmec colossal head to Ethiopia where it was placed in Mexico Square.


NOW before you go hating on me, let’s be clear….. bear with me….

There were no identical Olmec statues found in Ethiopia so we need to stop spreading that fallacy.

Spreading fallacies makes for ignorant people and detracts from the real mysteries and wonder centered around the truth.

We don’t need to spread lies to make things seem amazing because the reality is amazing enough.

NOW, what do we know? We know that some giant heads were found in South and North America. These heads have features that could well be Polynesian, descendants of current native peoples of the Americas BUT absolutely they could be African too. They sure do look it and you can’t pass that off as a distinct possibility.

So what do we have?

Asides from the visual evidence, the Olmecs seem to have religious and linguistic links to West African people. This may have been part of a 100,000-year-old prehistoric trade network, it may have been sooner. There are fair amounts of evidence to show that African people could have made it to the continent and that some native populations still carry some of the bloodlines today!

AND THAT IS AMAZING!

It’s fascinating and a lot is theory but all well worth learning about and keeping up with current research.

This post has some theories that are an interesting read.

So, let’s double check what we share (yes, that goes for me too) and let’s research and use due diligence so we can all grow a stronger truth and base our foundation of knowledge on fact. Speculation should be stated as such!

Agree?

[mohs]

what is the value of truth?
rarely is this question asked
why not untruth ?
isn't the history of errors
the truth?

enjoy these posts &
like to to give it
its due diligence
but ya see-- I'm trying to grind
before sun fry's me mind

a very poor meal, indeed
on the rocks
later gator

[pizzano]

Yes.......outside of the reference given above, throughout South and Central America's, there have been found significant Olmec art/sculpture similarities. Prior to that period, relationships of older Chavin culture/art have also been connected..........more modern examples of both cultures have been linked to Zapotec and Totonac art as well..........

It's also interesting to compare the similarities of ancient India Indus and Gupta art/sculpture to say Mayan or China Shang and Han time frames........through out the Asian continent and islands similarities are linked, that bled over to even many Polynesian cultures, and it may be vice/versa.....?

Conventional science and historian experts have even found links (still debated) to Greek, Egyptian, Asian and South American art forms........even though their ancient religions, technical and social environments differed dramatically in many ways........one thing seems to be linked to all, each displayed influences of supreme figure heads (leader's/God's), extremely advanced (physical) technical application (some still unmatched today), the existence of an after-life presence and a displayed importance of existing (natural) nature's life and natural resources...........something that was not dramatically on display, during the same time periods  ancient western/north western European cultures expressed, until much later...?.....due to shifts in continental land exploration....?......maybe not....!

Just a Thought....!

[mohs]

Carl Jung's collective unconscious archetypes
come to mind
as I grind
mohs

[1dave]

One of these would make a stunning conversation piece for your front yard.

[mohs]

no yard should be without mohsb hs

[gemfeller]

I saw a fascinating Olmec exhibit-- colossal head and all -- some time back at the L.A. County Museum of Art (LACMA). Study of the Olmecs is a passion of mine. They're the foundational Mesoamerican organized culture and the mystery of what preceded them intrigues me. Obviously there were precursor societies but no one I'm aware of has yet put that puzzle together.

As to African origins, theories abound. Some prominent archaeologists dismiss it out of hand, saying there were natives of that appearance, especially from South America. Others make an interesting case for the African theory. I have an article archived that supports the African theory and I'll try to locate and post it.

[rmf]

what most people seem to miss is they are wearing football helmets. I guess American football is older than we thought.

[mohs]

cause of collapse?

chronic
traumatic
ethnocentrohopatzy



better known CTE

mostly

[mossyrockhound]

May 3, 2020 11:47:11 GMT -5 rmf said:

what most people seem to miss is they are wearing football helmets. I guess American football is older than we thought.

Football helmets or Neuralink helmets? (Elon should look into this) 😁

Seriously though, I like this post. It's always good when someone exposes a fallacy. Thanks 1dave.

[gemfeller]

May 3, 2020 11:47:11 GMT -5 rmf said:

what most people seem to miss is they are wearing football helmets. I guess American football is older than we thought.

It wasn't American football, but it was a ball game. The helmets on the Olmec figures were likely protective gear used in the truly rough game of ball as played by the Olmecs and Maya. The game probably originated with the Olmecs and apparently had deep religious significance -- sometimes the losing time was sacrificed. The ball, made of solid rubber, was close to being a lethal weapon so protective gear was needed just as in American football.

www.ancient.eu/article/604/the-ball-game-of-mesoamerica/

[mohs]

A partial picture of a HohoKam ball court at Pueblo Grande



To further delve into the subject
forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/78462/pre-phoenix?page=4&scrollTo=923218

see if I can't find the picture

of the ball artifact found at Pueblo Grande...

[gemfeller]

There's a restored Sinagua ball court at Wupatki National Monument east of Flagstaff. It seemed smaller than those in Mexico, Guatamala and Belize I've seen pictured in archaeological accounts. I wondered when I was looking at it if it had more of a spiritual, religious symbolism than being intended for actual play.

[mohs]

Didn’t some of those courts have rings embedded on the side walls ?

Some think it was used to get the ball through the basket.
I can imagine that a player may grab it
and swing so his body would have more momentum.

Hohokam speakers --postulate that the game were huge events.

Maybe like the ancients Olympiads?

Sometimes,
when Sky Harbor planes aren’t roaring,
& if ya listen real close,
Ya can hear the hooping & whooping
of the game being played
in the wind

At least I like to imagine...

[gemfeller]

mohs, Yes, the object was to get the ball through the opening in the stone on the wall. Rules said you couldn't use your hands so they batted the heavy thing with their hips, heads, upper arms -- whatever. I think that's why the helmets were important.

The Sinagua court didn't have anything like that when I visited and that's another thing that made me suspect it was a religious symbol more than an actual playing court.

One more thought. Since the players were held in high regard -- enough so to devote enormous time and effort making their colossal heads -- maybe they were commemorated for religious, not sports, reasons. It's a mystery that tantalizes me. I'd love to know just what the religious connection was, and why losers often died.