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La Venta: Sacred Architecture

At some thirty meters tall, the Great Pyramid divides the site into northern and southern sectors. Access to the northern ceremonial precinct of Complex A was probably limited to the elite, who may have lived on the largely unexcavated Stirling "Acropolis." La Venta's rulers oversaw a burgeoning economy that included trade in exotic materials such as greenstones, much of which was buried in the elaborate offerings of Complex A. The site's ceremonial architecture is notable for use of local materials. Complex A, in particular, was the scene of four construction phases marked by the use of local clays and sands in a variety of colors. The southern sector, Complex B, includes a large plaza where numerous whole and fragmentary monuments have been discovered. It probably served as the primary staging area for ritual performances by La Venta's rulers. Colossal heads of stone, some reaching more than seven feet in height and striking in their individuality, are thought to depict the ancient rulers. Distinct headdresses adorn each head, underscoring their different personalities. Much of the iconography at the site reflects its environmental diversity and stresses the importance of the ruler's role in mediating between the watery realms occupied by fish, alligators, and sharks, and the earthly realm of agricultural and animal fertility.

Much of the iconography at the site reflects its environmental diversity.

Related

Cited Works of Art or Images (1)

• 

Timelines (1)

• Mexico, 1000 b.c.–1 a.d.

Primary Thematic Essays (3)

• La Venta
• La Venta: Stone Sculpture
• Monte Alban: Sacred Architecture

Other Thematic Essays (11)

• Cerro Sechin
• Cerro Sechin: Stone Sculpture
• Tenochtitlan
• Tenochtitlan: Templo Mayor
• Teotihuacan
• Teotihuacan: Ciudadela
• Teotihuacan: Mural Painting
• Teotihuacan: Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon
• Theater and Amphitheater in the Roman World
• Tikal
• Tikal: Sacred Architecture

Maps (1)

• World, 1000 B.C.-1 A.D.

Index Terms (5)

Geography/Place

• Mexico

Object

• Temple Architecture from Central America

Subject Matter/Theme

• Archaeology from Central America
• Ruler from Central America
• Trade (1000 b.c.–1 a.d.)

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Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Citation Department of AAOA. "La Venta: Sacred Architecture". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vent2/hd_vent2.htm (October 2001) Further Reading Diehl, Richard A. The Olmecs: America's First Civilization. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2004. Related exhibitions and online features Special Exhibitions (including upcoming, current, and past exhibitions)