The
World of the Ancient Olmecs
With
Dr. Christopher A. Pool
No trip currently scheduled
May we suggest another of our
current Mexico/Central America Destinations
FAR HORIZONS proudly presents a very special journey to the World
of the Ancient Olmecs. Much of the imagery still present in modern
Maya iconography had its genesis in Olmec art. We will visit the
birthplaces of that art where the colossal heads and finely carved
sculptures emblematic of the Olmec style were found. We will see
these famous figures on display in some of Mexico’s finest museums
and in small regional museums seldom visited by tourists.
This
extraordinary expedition will take us into truly remote areas to
explore some of the more elusive Olmec sites and to their small,
regional museums. See the remote sites of La Venta, San Lorenzo,
Potrero Nuevo, Loma Del Zapote, and Tres Zapotes where our study
leader works and where the first of the Olmec colossal heads was
found in 1862. Climb the spectacular cleft volcanic mountain to
see the beautifully inscribed boulders at remote Chalcatzingo. And
explore Teopantecuanitlan, a major Olmec center first discovered
in 1985 that has pushed the Olmec chronology back to 1500BC.
The
tour will also include visits to museums housing major collections
of Mesoamerican art and artifacts. Visit three extraordinary museums
renowned for Olmec art – the vast open-air museum of Parque-Museo
La Venta, the Jalapa Museum, not only filled with exquisite works
of art but one of the loveliest edifices in Mexico, and the National
Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
ITINERARY:
(B)
breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
Day
1:
Fly to Villahermosa, Mexico and overnight for the next two
nights.
 Day
2: This morning, visit the Parque-Museo La Venta, a vast open
air museum where many of the artifacts from the site of La Venta
have been relocated. As we walk along trails, agouti and coatimundi
can be seen running through the underbrush and birds fly through
the jungle setting. Here, you will encounter the massive stone heads
that are emblematic of the Olmec culture. In the afternoon, visit
the Carlos Pellicer Cámara Regional Museum of Anthropology.
Gather this evening for our welcome dinner in a local restaurant.
(L/D)
Day
3: This morning’s drive takes us to La Venta. The excavation
of the site formed the foundation for the archaeology of the Olmec.
Although it has been damaged by oil exploration in the area, and
none of the signature colossal stone heads remain, the island site
rising above the surrounding swamp still contains the remains of
the massive earthen mound that was the focus of the ceremonial complex.
If accessible, we will also visit Arroyo Pesquero. Continue to Acayucan
and overnight for two nights in the Hotel Kinaku. (L)
Day
4: The Rio Chiquito area sites of San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan,
Potrero Nuevo and Loma del Zapote flourished during the Initial
Olmec period of 1200-900 BC. Of these, San Lorenzo was by far the
largest of the sites and in its day was the largest center in Mesoamerica.
Spend the day visiting these sites and their associated museums.
(L)
Day
5: The stone for the great Olmec heads was quarried in the
Tuxtla Mountains near Santiago Tuxtla. How the stone was transported
to the distant sites of San Lorenzo and La Venta is still a hotly
debated topic. In Santiago Tuxtla’s plaza rests one colossal head
and another resides in the nearby museum. In the afternoon we will
attempt to reach Llano del Jicaro, the basalt source and workshops
for the manufacture of the statues, and Laguna de los Cerros, where
elaborate systems of stone drains were created for ritual management
of rain and water. This evening, travel to the shores of Lake Catemaco,
the great crater lake believed to be the place of creation in Olmec
cosmology. (L)
Day
6: This morning’s travel takes us to the site of Tres Zapotes
where the first of the Olmec colossal heads was found in 1862, and
to its associated museum. In the afternoon, we will try to reach
two different sites – Angel R. Cabada to see the El Mesón
Stela, and Cerro de las Mesas to see the tiny local museum. Please
note that accessibility to these sites may be impossible. Continue
to Veracruz and overnight for two nights near the central plaza
of the city. (L)
Day
7: Spend today in the Jalapa Museum, the newest and most spectacular
in Mexico. Huge, airy rooms pour down the side of a hill, and each
room contains artifacts of an ancient Mexican civilization. Spend
a leisurely day examining the exciting display of ancient art. (L)
 Day
8: This morning’s drive takes us to Chalcatzingo. Rising dramatically
from the expansive plains of Morelos is the spectacular cleft volcanic
mountain upon which the site is situated. In ancient cosmology,
the cleft mountain represents the emerging place, and Chalcatzingo
was the earliest mountain of creation. Its magnificent Olmec bas-reliefs
carved on the talus slopes are the iconographic foundations for
all later Mesoamerican mythology. We will hike up a massive outcrop
to see them. Overnight at the Hacienda del Rio. (L)
Day
9: Many of the most beautiful Olmec jades have come from the
dry mountainous state of Guerrero. Today will be a long traveling
day as we drive to Teopantecuanitlan, a major Olmec center. Its
discovery in 1985 has pushed the Olmec chronology back to about
1500BC. Spend the day at this spectacular new site, as yet hardly
visited by tourists. Time permitting, hike to the summit to see
the earliest example of a corbelled arch, dating to 600 BC. Other
outstanding monuments include spectacular bas-relief carvings. Overnight
for three nights at the Hotel Jacarandas. (L)
Day
10: Today’s long journey takes us to remote Juxlihuaca Cave
that, along with Oxtotitlan Cave, contains the only known example
of large-scale Formative period Olmec polychrome paintings. Walk
one mile inside the cave to see an incredible mural of a towering
figure of a man dressed in a jaguar skin and tall headdress decorated
with a jade plaque of a cleft-headed supernatural standing over
a kneeling ruler. Few people have had the opportunity to see this
extraordinary painting. Today’s visit will be a highlight of the
trip. (L)
Day
11: Our all day trip takes us to Chipancingo and Oxtotitlan
Cave, located in a remote area of Guerrero. Within a series of shallow
grottos are several paintings more than 2700 years old. One of these
huge murals depicts an Olmec ruler in a cosmic travel ceremony.
The enthroned figure is wearing a complex bird helmet or mask that
is cut away in shamanic x-ray to provide a view of the human face
under the mask. (L)
 Day
12: On our drive to Mexico City, we will stop to visit Xochipala,
where solid clay figurines were produced that were contemporary
with the apex of the Olmec ceramic production in the central highlands.
Overnight for two nights in Mexico City. (L)
Day
13: Proof of an Olmec presence outside the Gulf Coast heartland
is normally determined by the presence of objects executed in the
Olmec style. This morning’s excursion takes us to Tlatilco where
artisans working in clay produced exquisite figurines. Stirrup-necked
bottles, zoomorphic vessels in the form of aquatic animals, and
other beautiful ceramics were place in the tombs of their honored
dead. This afternoon’s investigations will concentrate on the extravagant
and comprehensive collection on display at one of the world’s most
renowned museums, Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology.
Gather this evening for a farewell dinner in an elegant restored
hacienda. (L/D)
Day
14: Transfer to the airport for our flight home.
STUDY
LEADER: Dr. Christopher A. Pool received his PhD in Anthropology
from Tulane University in 1990. From 2000-2002, he was Director
of the Latin American Studies Program, University of Kentucky and
is presently Associate Professor at the same institution. With funding
from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Pool has been working
at the Olmec site of Tres Zapotes since 1994, and is well known
as a scholar on this civilizaton. He has published extensively on
the Olmecs including a monograph, The Archaeology of the Olmec:
An Early Complex Society of Mesoamerica, that is presently
in press with Cambridge University Press. Dr. Pool is fluent in
Spanish and intimate with the Olmec area. His leadership will make
this trip a memorable one for you.
2007
TRIP DATES: No trip currently scheduled
2007 TRIP COST:
(per
person, double occupancy)
Includes round trip airfare from Houston to Villahermosa and return
from Mexico City; hotel accommodations; meals as noted in the itinerary;
ground transportation throughout the tour; services of an English
speaking guide and driver; entry fees; luggage handling; and pre-trip
information book and guidelines.
PRICE
DOES NOT INCLUDE: the $100.00 donation to the Tres Zapotes
Archaeological Project, alcoholic and other beverages and food not
on regular menus; laundry; personal tips, telephone and fax charges
or other items of a personal nature.
2007 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT:
RESERVATION:
A donation of $100.00 per person (payable to ‘The Tres Zapotes
Archaeological Project’) and a $500 deposit (payable to Far Horizons)
will confirm your reservation. Please mail both checks to Far Horizons,
P.O. Box 91900, Albuquerque, NM 87199. Final payment is due 75 days
before departure.
Upon
receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will
be sent a reading list and a clothing and equipment list. An information
book designed for this trip, including maps of archaeological sites
and articles of pertinent interest, will be sent upon receipt of
final payment.
CANCELLATION
AND REFUNDS: Cancellations received in writing at least 75 days before
departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00. Cancellations received
less than 75 days before departure will not receive a refund. If for any reason
you are unable to complete the trip, Far Horizons will not reimburse any fees.
Registrants are strongly advised to buy travel insurance that includes trip
cancellation.
No trip currently scheduled
May we suggest another of our
current Mexico/Central America Destinations
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