Exam #1

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Santa Monica College *

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1041

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Anthropology

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Oct 30, 2023

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pdf

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Exam #1 The Olmec also known as ‘the rubber people,’are the first discovered major civilization in Mexico which dates back to 1600 BCE. Though we are still learning about this civilization in Latin America due to the scarcity of its history and their archaeology figures. Many indigenous cultures had objects or figures that had very specific purposes, whether it was for agriculture, religious practices, everyday use, etc. Two of the Olmec figurines are the Eagle Transformation Figure and the Seated Figure, though it is clear that these figures are completely different figurines they still share slight similarities. The difference between the two artifacts vary from hues, elements and even purpose.The Seated Figure appears to resemble a very young infant, as its eyes are smaller and narrow almost as if they were squinting. Rather than the Eagle Transformation , where the eyes are much larger, wider, and rounder. This is a key detail because the Eagle’s big eyes appear not to be completely human. This could mean that the Eagle Transformation Figure was more to do with an animal or god rather than the Seated Figure having zero resemblance to an animal. The Olmec were known to worship deities that correlated with natural elements & displayed both feminine and masculine features. Another major difference is seen with the hue of each figure, because of the Eagle Transformation Figure having a pale green hue due to its element being made out of greenstone. This lets us know that this figure was more important and rare at the time because of greenstone being considered a valuable resource to the Olmecs. Instead, while looking at the Seated Figure we do not see the same green hue; rather it has a yellow hue that looks almost off-white which could possibly be sculpted with clay. This attribution can also show how the figures were used by the Olmec based on the appearance/texture of the element that was used. With the Eagle Transformation Figure, the greenstone looks smooth and has little to no cracks which is

important because it could mean this figure was protected and taken care of . Compared to the Seated figure because of all of its cracks and is missing a foot that has clearly broken off which would mean this artifact was not as looked after .Using this helps us understand the figurine is most likely not a ruler or deity. It is possible that the function of the Seated figure was a common figurine that was made for infants or children that have passed away based on its elements. While the Eagle Transformation could have been a miniature stature of an Olmec deity based on the use of greenstone and its animal-like features. Although the two figurines have differences they also have similarities like their emphasis on the figures' bodies; with the Seated figure’s infant body and the Eagle’s smaller almost human-like body. This is important because it allows us to quickly grasp the main idea of the figure and who it could possibly be. Another key similarity is the detailing of curved lines on both of the figurines' faces which is important because it could mean that this person had an important role to remember .

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