At San Lorenzo, excavators found
ten Colossal heads sculpted from  
blocks of basalt weighing as much
as 20 tons.  The stone had been
hauled 60 miles from the Tuxtla
mountains to the site which at the
time was an Island in the
Coatzacoalcos River.  Head # 1 of
17 so far found is at the Museum of
Anthropology in Jalapa, the capital of
Veracruz State.
The Olmec Heads:
The Olmec Culture built their
first settlements.in the basin
of the Coatzacoalcos River in
Veracruz State and at La
Venta in Tabasco State

San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan in
Veracruz State was home to
the Olmecs from 1600 BC to
400BC. There they built a
complex of artificial plateaus.  
The heads found at San
Lorenzo were removed and
placed in the Jalapa Museum
to protect them.

Heads found at the ruin site
of La Venta were moved to
the La Venta Museum in
Villahermosa Tabasco State.
Olmec Heads, Jalapa Museum,Veracruz
and La Venta Museum, Tabasco
Olmec Head # 10 sculpted from a block of
basalt brought 60 miles from the Tuxtla
Mountains is now in the museum at San
Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, Veracruz State, Mexico
the area where it was first discovered.

The Olmec settlement on the site was active
from  1600 BC to  300 BC  and at its height
1200 BC to 900 BC on the Coatzacoalcos
River drainage system.  The ruin site was first
excavated by Archaeologist Mathew Stirling in
1941 and later by Archaeologists Michael
Coe and Richard Diehl in 1967,
Olmec sculpture, Head Number 1,  from San Lorenzo at the  Jalapa
Museum of Anthropology in Vera Cruz
Reaching San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan and the Olmec Homeland:
Bus out of Mexico City  Terminal Norte for Veracruz.  From Veracruz head to Coatzacoalcos or
Minatitlan south east of Catemaco.  Then head by local bus to Acayucan where you get a collective taxi
for the ten miles to the small farming village of San Lorenzo.  (San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan. On some maps just
Tenochtitlan)
From Oaxaca , ADO first Class bus to  Acayucan, Coatzacoalcos or Minatitlan.  Bus to Acayucan, taxi to
San Lorenzo
One head remains at
the ruin site of San
Lorenzo Tenochtitlan,
Head 10
Jalapa Museum was established partly to
house the Olmec artifacts removed for
safety from  the Olmec ruin site of San
Lorenzo in Veracruz State.
The first Olmec Head was found at the
olmec settlement of  Tres Zapotes,  
During a 1939 excavation archaeologist
Mathew Sterling  also discovered a stela
bearing a long count date of 32 BC which
employed the use of the zero..
The early excavations by
Archaeologist Mathew Stirling
in 1941 revealed  the Olmec
settlements of San Lorenzo
Tenochtitlan on the
Coatzacoalcos River drainage
system  and the ruin site of La
Venta  near the Gulf Coast.
These sites along with Tres
Zapotes  have yielded 17
heads.
At San Lorenzo, excavators
found ten Colossal heads
Reaching Veracruz Jalapa Museum Olmec Heads
ADO first Class Bus out of Mexico City Tapo or Terminal Norte for Veracruz.  Directly to Jalapa
(Xalapa) or to Veracruz City and then to Jalapa  
ADO from Oaxaca City to Veracruz.  Taxi or public bus to Jalapa Museum of Anthropology Avenida Jalapa
Hours:  Open Tuesday -Sunday   9-5  Closed Monday and holidays
Reaching La Venta Museum in Villahermosa, Tabasco State
ADO first Class Bus out of Mexico City Tapo or Terminal Norte for Veracruz.   to Villahermosa. Taxi to
La Venta Park
Custom Search
Olmec Heads in Veracruz at the Jalapa Museum were
found at the ancient settlement of San Lorenzo
Tenochtitlan, Veracruz.  The heads found at San
Lorenzo were removed and placed in the Jalapa
Museums to protect them.
Olmec Heads, Jalapa Museum Veracruz, Mexico, Head 4 San Lorenzo
Olmec Head,  10, San Lorenzo Museum, Veracruz
Head 8, Jalapa
Museum