The Olmec: Mother of Mesoamerican Civilisations

7 August 2025 · 1h 8m

The Ancients

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Show notes

Iconic monumental stone heads, the intriguing Lord of Las Limas, the enigmatic 'were-jaguar' figures, so much survives from the ancient Olmec civilisation.

Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Jillian Mollenhauer to unravel the Olmec's sophisticated artistry, the symbolic significance of greenstone, and the blend of naturalistic and supernatural portrayals in their work. They discuss how the Olmec set the foundation for Mesoamerican cultures and their undying legacy that influenced civilizations like the Maya and Aztec.

Olmec Art:

https://smarthistory.org/americas-before-1900/north-america-to-1500/mesoamerica/olmec-art/

Olmec Heads

https://shows.acast.com/the-ancients/episodes/ancient-americas-the-olmec-heads

The Maya Collapse

https://open.spotify.com/episode/56rb6VA4Ey9bMX9CrhCfRR

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan and the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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