Olmec colossal heads

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/olmec-colossal-heads

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How tall is Olmec colossal heads?Approximately 3 meters (9.8 feet)
2. How heavy is Olmec colossal heads?Estimated to be over 20 tons
3. What is the civilization?Olmec
4. What is the time period?Pre-Classic Mesoamerica (c. 1500 BCE – 400 BCE)
5. How big are the Olmec colossal heads?They are very large, made from huge blocks of stone. Each head is a monumental sculpture.
6. Where did the Olmec people live?They lived in the tropical lowlands of modern‑day southern Mexico, mainly in Veracruz and Tabasco.

Mesoamerica: A cultural region encompassing parts of Mexico and Central America, home to advanced ancient civilizations.
Pre-Classic Period: The earliest major period of Mesoamerican civilization, preceding the Classic Maya and Aztec eras.
Basalt: A hard, dense igneous rock, quarried by the Olmec for their monumental sculptures.
Monumental Sculpture: Large-scale artworks created to commemorate significant events, individuals, or beliefs.