[Aztlan] Large enigmatic Olmecoid sculpture uncovered in Guatemala

[michael ruggeri]

Listeros,

A new and enigmatic sculpture has been uncovered at the National  
Project Tak'alik Ab'aj in Guatemala. Earlier this year at the site,  
Altar 48 was uncovered, a monument to the birth of Maya culture.  
Monuments 215 and 217, as they are called, were also uncovered. This  
new sculpture has some Olmecoid characteristics such as a U sign on  
the sash and the figure is carrying a small human on its back. The  
infant has Olmecoid characteristics similar to Olmec jade infants.

The character is standing on the capital of a column carved in the  
head of a monster bat or earth monster similar to stelae at Quirigua  
and Copan where the earth monster is carved at the base of columns  
where rulers are standing. The small human is connected artistically  
to the earth monster on the base of the sculptor. There is a double  
column of early glyphs on the sculpture.

The sculpture had been mutilated and its pieces placed in a wall  
during the Late Pre-Classic (200 BCE-150 CE) so the sculpture is  
earlier. It may be transitional between the Olmec era to the Maya era  
at the site. Perhaps the artist was invoking Olmec ancestors.

This is a very unique art work.

The Guatemala Times has the story and pictures of the sculpture here;
http://www.guatemala-times.com/archeology/takalik-abaj/484-new-maya- 
olmec-archeological-find-in-guatemala.html

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