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Twin grumpy mouth reliefs of Olmec contortionists discovered in Mexico

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Twin 'grumpy mouth' reliefs of Olmec contortionists discoveredin Mexico

Archaeologistsin Mexico have uncovered two Olmec reliefs chiseled into large, circular stonesthat are thought to depict local rulers performing ritual contortion.Thetwin pieces were found in Tenosique, a town located in the state of Tabasco,near Mexico's southern tip, and are believed to feature rulers from the ancientOlmec civilization, whose name comes from the Aztec (Nahuatl) word "Olmecatl,"which means "rubber people."

TheOlmec reigned between 1200 B.C. to 400 B.C. and are considered the firstelaborate pre-Hispanic civilization in Mesoamerica(opens in new tab). Today,they're best known for their sculptures of colossal heads(opens in new tab).

Constructedof limestone, the massive 3D sculptures measure approximately 4.5 feet (1.4meters) in diameter and weigh 1,543 pounds (700 kilograms) each. The two carvedmonuments portray the faces of local rulers with their "grumpymouth[s]" agape and their arms crossed, according to a translatedstatement.

Each pieceis punctuated by footprints, a diadem, corncobs, an Olmec cross and glyphs ofjaguars, with the leaders' open mouths alluding to the "roar of thejaguar."The newfound carvings look strikingly similar to five differentreliefs of contortionists attributed to the Olmec that were found elsewhere inthe region, including in Balancán and Villahermosa, two other cities inTabasco; Ejido Emiliano Zapata, a town in the Mexican state of Jalisco; and inTenosique.

Basedon those similarities, the researchers believe that the portraits depict rulersperforming ritual contortion. This practice involves "adopting a stancethat reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain to achieve a trance-likestate," Heritage Daily(opens in new tab) reported.

He also saidthat he believes that the newfound reliefs originated from the MiddleUsumacinta region bordered by the Chacamax River to the north and the mouth ofthe San Pedro River to the south. The INAH first learned about the reliefs in2019 after an anonymous tip reported their discovery on a property in Tabasco'scapital. The sculptures will be housed at the Pomoná Site Museum in Tenosique,which counts the aforementioned Ejido Emiliano Zapata piece as part of itscollection. '

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