San Lorenzo - The First Mesomerican City

  • Timeline

    The earliest evidence for human settlement in the San Lorenzo plateau dates to around 1750 BCE, however the city did not reach its height until 1450 BCE with its golden age lasting until 1000 BCE. Around this time the city’s population and importance began to wane. By around 50 BCE it is believed that the city had been fully deserted and then re-inhabited between 800-1000 CE. 

  • Location

    San Lorenzo was located on a plateau raised 50 meters above the marshes below. It is believed that during ancient times two rivers flowed on either side of this plateau, giving the city the feeling of being situated atop a mountain. 

  • Architecture

    At the very top of the plateau were the elite residences. San Lorenzo’s architecture is unique in that the city was built into its natural environment. As historian Christopher Poole puts it, “rather than building formal courts and temple mounds as did their successors, [the inhabitants of San Lorenzo] sculpted the natural contours of their surroundings into a cultural landscape and defined sacred areas with arrangements of stone monuments.” However, this doesn’t mean that there weren’t any buildings at San Lorenzo.

  • Architecture Continued

    Elite residences in San Lorenzo were made from imported basalt, with one residence boasting 12 foot high carved columns which supported it’s roof. One interesting feature of San Lorenzo is that the commoners lived in terraces along the periphery of the plateau. Although not as big as the elite residences, these dwellings were built into the side of the plateau by first leveling the land into flat terraces. San Lorenzo also featured a system of drain stones which directed water down the sides of the plateau.

  • Architecture Continued

    Relatedly, there were two large causeways (600 and 750 meters long) at the base of the plateau which are believed to have served for controlling traffic along the rivers that flowed next to the plateau and/or for flood control. Most notable of all are probably the massive carved monuments found throughout the city. The most famous of these monuments are the colossal Olmec heads which could weigh up to 40 tons and measure 8 feet in height. In addition to these heads there have also been found equally large altars/thrones and massive carved stone tablets.

  • Legacy

    San Lorenzo is arguably the most important city in mesoamerican history. Although it's dwarfed by later cities, it kickstarted an urban revolution that quickly swept throughout Mesoamerica.
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Inspired by San Lorenzo

This collection honors the Olmecs' famous colossal heads. In total there have been 17 such heads discovered in the old Olmec lands. Ten of these were found in the capital of San Lorenzo, each of with distinct facial features and helmet styling. It is believed that these heads were made in honor of important rulers.