Olmec and Epi‑Olmec Inscriptional Evidence (c. 900 BCE–100 CE)

1. Earliest probable Olmec incised symbols emerge

   Jan 1, 900 BCELabels: Olmec marks, Gulf Coast

   • Olmec hieroglyphs
   • Britannica
   • MesoWeb

2. Cascajal Block produced in early first millennium BCE

   Jan 1, 900 BCELabels: Cascajal Block, Olmec heartland

   • Science 2006
   • SciAm
   • Cascajal Block

3. San Andrés deposits include cylinder seal and plaque fragments

   Jan 1, 650 BCELabels: San Andr, cylinder seal

   • MesoWeb
   • Science Pohl et
   • NYT

4. Chiapa de Corzo sherd proposed as early Isthmian-script evidence

   Jan 1, 450 BCELabels: Chiapa de, Isthmian sherd

   • Isthmian script
   • MesoWeb

5. Tres Zapotes Stela C Long Count date carved

   Sep 3, 32 BCELabels: Tres Zapotes, Long Count

   • Tres Zapotes
   • Isthmian script

6. Cascajal Block discovered in Veracruz lowlands

   Jan 1, 1 BCELabels: Cascajal Block, Lomas de

   • Cascajal Block
   • ScienceDaily
   • Science 2006

7. Tuxtla Statuette text dated to March 162 CE

   Mar 1, 162Labels: Tuxtla Statuette, Isthmian text

   • Smithsonian
   • Tuxtla Statuette
   • Isthmian script

8. Tuxtla Statuette discovered near Tuxtlas region

   Jan 1, 1902Labels: Tuxtla Statuette, Tuxtlas

   • Smithsonian
   • Tuxtla Statuette

9. Tres Zapotes Stela C lower portion discovered

   Jan 1, 1939Labels: Stela C, Matthew Stirling

   • Tres Zapotes
   • Smithsonian

10. Top half of Tres Zapotes Stela C found

    Jan 1, 1969Labels: Stela C, Tres Zapotes

    • Tres Zapotes
    • Isthmian script

11. La Mojarra Stela 1 discovered in Veracruz river

    Jan 1, 1986Labels: La Mojarra, Epi-Olmec corpus

    • La Mojarra
    • Justeson Kaufman

12. Partial decipherment of Epi‑Olmec (Isthmian) proposed

    Mar 19, 1993Labels: Justeson &, Epi-Olmec decipherment

    • Science 1993
    • Archaeology

13. New glyph column recognized on La Mojarra Stela 1

    Nov 1, 1995Labels: La Mojarra, glyph column

    • Archaeology
    • La Mojarra

14. San Andrés “writing” claim published in Science

    Dec 6, 2002Labels: San Andr, Science article

    • MesoWeb
    • Science

15. Cascajal Block report published in Science

    Sep 15, 2006Labels: Cascajal Block, Science report

    • Science 2006
    • ScienceDaily
    • SciAm

16. Science publishes formal criticism of Cascajal dating/context

    Mar 9, 2007Labels: Cascajal criticism, Science critique

    • Cascajal Block
    • Science