Discovering the Olmecs

The Olmecs are renowned for their massive carved stone heads and other
sculptures, the first stone monuments produced in Mesoamerica. Seven
decades of archaeological research have given us many insights into the
lifeways of the Olmecs, who inhabited parts of the modern Mexican states
of Veracruz and Tabasco from around 1150 to 400 BC, and there are
several good books that summarize the current interpretations of Olmec
prehistory. But these formal studies don’t describe the field
experiences of the archaeologists who made the discoveries. What was it
like to endure the Olmec region’s heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and ticks
to bring that ancient society to light? How did unforeseen events and
luck alter carefully planned research programs and the conclusions drawn
from them? And, importantly, how did local communities and individuals
react to the research projects and discoveries in their territories?

In this engaging book, a leading expert on the Olmecs tells those
stories from his own experiences and those of his predecessors,
colleagues, and students. Beginning with the first modern explorations
in the 1920s, David Grove recounts how generations of archaeologists and
local residents have uncovered the Olmec past and pieced together a
portrait of this ancient civilization that left no written records. The
stories are full of fortuitous discoveries and frustrating
disappointments, helpful collaborations and deceitful shenanigans. What
emerges is an unconventional history of Olmec archaeology, a lively
introduction to archaeological fieldwork, and an exceptional overview of
all that we currently know about the Olmecs.