Did the Olmecs come from somewhere else?

In this excerpt of an interview, Mesoamerican archaeologist Jeffrey Blomster answers a question about whether the Olmecs came from Africa or Asia.

►DOWNLOAD Professor Miano's free e-booklet: "Why Ancient History Matters":

►SUBSCRIBE to the World of Antiquity YouTube Channel for great travel videos about ancient ruins and ancient history museums.

► SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL

FTC Disclaimer Notice: Some of the links here may be affiliate links, meaning that if you click on them and purchase something on another website, I get a small commission. It doesn't cost you any extra, but I thought you should know! It does help support the channel.

► REFERENCES

Professor Miano's handy guide for learning, "How to Know Stuff," is available here:

Follow Professor Miano on social media:

[carymartin]

A note on pyramids and why they are found all over the ancient world: if you wanted to build something really tall you had to build it as a pyramid or it would fall over or collapse. Pyramids support they weight of the upper levels by having an ever broadening base under it; it wasn't until the industrial age and modern engineering that skyscrapers as we know them today were possible.

[diegosmommy]

I think the idea of trying to connect everything is interesting maybe spiritually. But even in nature there is characteristic that evolved independently in different life forms that had nothing to do with eachother, really depending on the environment.

[MooPotPie]

When viewed from the side, the Olmec stone heads appear quite Asian or Polynesian. This particular facial and cranial shape doesn't look African to me at all - and is still quite common in the region, particularly among the Tzotzil people.

[popelgruner]

He didn't debunk the facial features. How are they actually explained?

[SiskaRobert]

Awesome! Hope there will be a full interview.

[Emcee_Squared]

Any polynesian DNA in them? Easter island wasn’t too far.

[brhmhkr]

Thank you for your channel. After observing the way you examine evidence and how careful you are with your words, I have been trying to get better about not overstating things and I have learned so much while trying to improve my arguments. On the topic of were the people of Mesoamerica originated, I have a few thoughts. Consider the two Makara at Candi Kidal in East Java and compare specifically the eyebrows to those of the serpents at the base of El Castillo at Chichen Itza. Then consider that both pairs of serpents have their mouths open, with their tongues out and that they are acting as guardians of a stairway. Both Makara and the Vision Serpent have spirit beings emerging from their mouths in their corresponding motifs. Also consider that Jade was used in both southeast Asia and in Mesoamerica as early as 10th century BC. So perhaps East Java is an interesting place to investigate further. I am grateful for your channel, it is not only a great resource for history, you also choose great examples and articulately explain your thought process when thinking critically about each example.

[stevejobs]

"France, we come from France"

[Lol-udcs]

This helped me with my homework....thank U 😁😁😁

[SunTzu...]

💥Olmec statues look Asian face. Asian faces are smaller with flat face small chin. African faces are longer and bigger face. African and Asians both have full lips and round tip nose...

[fajons]

Where do you think they came from then?

[mightyoaks]

So it's been proven through genetic haplo grouping that the elongated skulls found in paracus South America originate from a group of people inhabiting the crimea and black sea area of Europe around 3 to 4 thousand years ago. So it's entirely possible that later generations of Africans could of made this journey in the same way which has been lost to us. Its so sad witnessing the blinkered approach of some people 😒

[jamesirmert]

It’s highly unlikely that the culture and general population of the Olmec, Aztec, Maya or any of the other number of highly advanced cultures in the Americas came from anywhere else. Certainly. It’s also however, highly likely that either a group came to these people (and were credited as Gods) and taught them things and then ruled over them as an Elite, intermarrying with them to an extent as always happens or simply taught them things and left. This is a tale that is actually spot on with almost every advanced culture that built Step Pyramids right the whole way across the World and is attested to in all of their Mythologies. You can accept what they say or write it off as just Myth and Legend but I’d hazard a bet that if they all say basically the same thing, there’s probably something to what they say about their own histories compared to what Academia would prefer to believe with upturned noses.

[fritztopher]

The pyramids in Egypt are not funeral monuments there resonating chambers, we don’t know wat either pyramids were for,

[williamm]

So basically what he is saying is they were black just not African. Yes contrary to mainstream science and history there were ABORIGINAL BLACKS in america pre-Columbia with many features and hair textures. The black Yamassse Indians claim descent from the olmecs.

[insanity]

I would like to know more about the Australian Aboriginal DNA in South Americans and the hypotheses as to how that could have occurred.

[Zebred]

1000 - 900 B.C. Cascajal Block Oldest writing in Meso-America. Olmec written inscription (undeciphered) found in the 1990’s in Vera Cruz Mexico. 62 characters. Long Count also possibly an Olmec invention.

[yoursotruly]

Absolutely, I have heard natives from the area say, "They looks just like my uncle!" but the native population was so scattered and diluted that it wasn't really known what the natives looked like before colonization and the other problem has been the color of the rock, I think, not to discount prehistoric seafaring which could have brought Africans to America but didn't, oh well.

Of course, aliens are the best answer, much better than, "Just some fat ancestors!"

[ishmaelbenn]

If the African origins are flaw what other evidence you have. 😅

[squish]

Thank you for this. Just add a mike drop at the end and it will be perfect. 🎤🩸