Basalt quarrying and transport for Olmec monuments (Tuxtla region to sites) (c. 1400–400 BCE)

1. La Venta’s dominance ends by about 400 BCE

   Jan 1, 400Labels: La Venta, Olmec

   • Britannica

2. La Venta’s florescence sustains monumental supply

   Jan 1, 700Labels: La Venta, Monumental supply

   • Britannica
   • ScienceDirect

3. La Venta becomes principal regional center

   Jan 1, 800Labels: La Venta, San Lorenzo

   • Britannica

4. Long-distance basalt movement to La Venta attested

   Jan 1, 800Labels: La Venta, Tuxtla Mountains

   • Olmec Heads
   • Britannica

5. Colossal heads production continues after 900 BCE

   Jan 1, 900Labels: Colossal heads, Tuxtla basalt

   • Olmec Heads

6. San Lorenzo destroyed; monuments deliberately mutilated

   Jan 1, 900Labels: San Lorenzo, Monument destruction

   • Britannica

7. Tuxtla source area includes lahar-transported boulders

   Jan 1, 900Labels: Tuxtla source, Lahar boulders

   • Olmec Heads

8. San Lorenzo rises as earliest Olmec center

   Jan 1, 1150Labels: San Lorenzo, Early Formative

   • Britannica
   • Britannica

9. Tuxtla basalt identified as San Lorenzo source

   Jan 1, 1200Labels: Tuxtla Mountains, Cerro Cintepec

   • Britannica
   • Olmec Heads

10. River-and-raft transport model articulated

    Jan 1, 1200Labels: Transport model, Coatzacoalcos River

    • Britannica

11. San Lorenzo monument-building peak begins

    Jan 1, 1400Labels: San Lorenzo, Monumental program

    • Britannica
    • Olmec Heads

12. Blom and La Farge document La Venta head

    Jan 1, 1925Labels: Blom, La Farge

    • Olmec Heads

13. Stirling excavates La Venta colossal head

    Jan 1, 1940Labels: Matthew Stirling, La Venta

    • Olmec Heads

14. Stirling discovers San Lorenzo Colossal Head 1

    Jan 1, 1945Labels: Matthew Stirling, San Lorenzo

    • Olmec Heads

15. Stirling discovers additional San Lorenzo heads

    Jan 1, 1946Labels: Matthew Stirling, San Lorenzo

    • Olmec Heads