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Article: A surprise find.(Olmec civilization discovered in 1862)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- January 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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America's oldest civilization was exposed--by accident--in 1862.
However, it was not until 80 years later that it was officially recognized. What we know of this ancient culture comes from artifacts. We still are not sure who the people were, where they came from, or what they called themselves. Scholars call them the Olmecs, meaning the "people from the land of rubber trees."
Imagine the surprise of the corn farmer who, when making a clearing in 1862, discovered what looked like an iron caldron (large kettle) buried upside down in the middle of the jungle. Digging down around it, he found instead a round stone head. It measured about five feet tall and ...