The Jade Museum, San Cristóbal de las Casas
Among the many museums in San Cristóbal, the museum of jade was my favorite. It features fine reproductions of the Jade figures, masks and jewelry as well as ceramic statues found in ancient Maya, Olmec & Mokaya sites as well as a few pieces from the ancient Zapotecs and Mixtecs. The work is exquisite and the power and beauty of the jade as well as the red cinnabar accents makes each piece quite powerful. For the ancient peoples of mesoamerica jade was indeed the most precious of all materials. Jade was believed to facilitate the transition through the underworld after death. Jade also symbolized immortality, eternity, power and love.
This museum also provides a excellent opportunity to understand the chronology of these ancient peoples. work from peoples more ancient than the Mayas, the Olmecs and the Mokaya. It was fascinating to observe the different ways that human figures were portrayed over 3000 years and among different groups.
This museum also provides a excellent opportunity to understand the chronology of these ancient peoples. work from peoples more ancient than the Mayas, the Olmecs and the Mokaya. It was fascinating to observe the different ways that human figures were portrayed over 3000 years and among different groups.
This was the first I had heard of the Mokaya people, though they are the oldest people of Mesoamerica, living between 1800 & 1200BC and predating the Olmecs. They were the first to use Jade-- the display case held tiny jade carvings -- a hummingbird, a monkey, a turtle/sun. The Mokaya are known as the "people of the corn", the grandmother of all later cultures. Some Maya believe
The Olmecs lived from 1500 BC to 400 BC and left some compelling sculpture, the most well known of which are the collasal heads. These heads were carved in a different location that where they eventually were displayed. It has been estimated that moving a colossal head required the work of 1,500
people for three to four months.
The Olmecs lived from 1500 BC to 400 BC and left some compelling sculpture, the most well known of which are the collasal heads. These heads were carved in a different location that where they eventually were displayed. It has been estimated that moving a colossal head required the work of 1,500
people for three to four months.
Olmec culture directly influenced the Maya in profound ways and there is some overlap between the dates of last Olmec civilizations and the pre-classic Maya. The Olmec also devised a long-count calendar and there is significant evidence that they first developed the use of the zero in mathmatics as well as initiated the ritual ballgame, which had an important divinitory role in all following mesoamerican civilizations. The Olmecs also first developed writing and maintained ceremonial centeres where large monuments were built and shamans communicated with the heart of the sky.
Perhaps it was the Olmecs collassal heads which inspired the enormous monuments of the Maya. Certainly the Maya continued to develop the systems of writing, mathematics and astronomy which the Olmecs had begun.
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