I decided to visit Parque Museo La Venta in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, on a bit of a whim. Whilst trying to decide where to head next on my trip I passed a poster advertising the state of Tabasco, displaying a rather large head carved out of stone. I was told by a number of tourist information and agency offices in Palenque that Villahermosa was not only ugly, but a little dangerous. Alas, the allure of the giant heads, and a little break from pyramid hunting, proved too appealing. Ignoring advice I headed to Villahermosa.
Parque Museo La Venta is a leafy park containing a number of the sculptures of the Olmec people. The sculptures were moved here in the 1950s when petroleum companies moved in on the ancient Olmec lands in the west of Tabasco.
The Olmec civilisation, named by the Aztecs, prospered in the Gulf of Mexico between around 1200 BC and 400 BC during the pre-classic era. Their influence stretched as far as what is now Nicaragua, and many of the practices and traditions of the Mayans and Aztecs were taken from the Olmecs, including the building of ball courts and the practice of drinking chocolate.
Parque La Venta is named after one of the main centres of Olmec power, La Venta, which flourished around 900 BC and probably had a population of around 18,000 people. The sculptures in the park range in their level of preservation and the intricacy of their carvings. Some of the best preserved are the altars on display. These are carved with figures emerging from what is supposed to be a cave, illustratiing that life comes from the underworld- a strong belief in Olmec culture.
Although historians know little about the religious beliefs of the Olmecs, due largely to a lack of evidence, it’s clear that they revered the powerful animals of their environment. Some of the sculptures depict humans crossed with animals, including one woman crossed with a crocodile.
The large stone heads, the most impressive of the sculptures on display, are all unique and are thought to depict actual leaders of the Olmec civilisation. It is likely the Olmecs believed, as did other Mesoamerican cultures, that it was the head alone which bore the soul.
The Olmec sculptures in Parque La Venta are very different to the Mayan sculptures you see in other parts of Mexico. If you have the time and inclination to make it Villahermosa, they are well worth a look.
For more information visit:
http://www.ancient.eu/Olmec_Civilisation/ (This is where the majority of my information came from)
Getting there and away:
Villahermosa is two hours from Palenque by collectivo and the journey costs approximately 80 pesos.
You can also take an ADO bus there but these are much more expensive.
Entry to the park is 40 pesos.
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