The Olmec tribe idolized jade and its inhabitants were amazing craftsmen. Although, according to archaeologists, the great variety of carved jades found, gave rise to the idea that the Olmecs did not extract the mineral from a single deposit. One of the most extraordinary pieces, worked by them, dates from the year 3,800 BC and was found in one of their first ceremonial centers.
This strange community arose between the years 1500 BC, on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. It is said that it was the first. For them, the jade stone was a symbol of great spiritual and mystical value, so it was used to make all kinds of objects: masks, axes and reduced statues. The rock represented eternal life, and was the door for communication with the world of souls.
The Olmec civilization reflects certain interesting features regarding the approach of its traditions and practices with the Chinese culture; interesting detail due to the distance between both towns. This society performed acts identical to those performed in the Chinese tradition. In the spiritual and religious aspects, both placed sculptures, dental plaques and masks made of jade on the bodies of the dead, as they highlighted the connection with the universe and its power, thus ensuring that the soul reached its destination in peace. Another curious aspect was the fact that both cultures consumed jade powder to achieve eternal life.
The Olmecs worked jade with great perfection and detail; It was the community with the largest number of carved pieces. The closest deposit for the extraction of the stone was in the Motagua River, in Guatemala, although the material was scarce in that place. This, together with the possible relationship with the communities of ancient China, suggests to experts that at some point both civilizations made contact, especially with the tribes of Burma.
Another of the strange anecdotes that surrounds the Olmecs dealt with the discovery of the tombs located in La Venta, in Mexico. In the place they found a sculpture that left the scientific community speechless.
The fascinating piece was composed of fifteen figures of apparent little men; however, its physiognomy showed features different from those of humans. Their heads were elongated and hairless and showed no reproductive system. His eyes seemed slanted and crooked; in the same room there were six stone monuments with inscriptions that, to date, have not been deciphered.
Most of the jade pieces worked by the Olmecs are found in museums located in different countries; two of these are in Guatemala and Mexico. The steps of this society were decisive in guiding the societies that emerged after it.