---
title: Olmec Colossal Head
author: Mary Harrsch (Photographed at the de Young Museum of Fine Arts, San Francisco)
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/922/olmec-colossal-head/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 1970-01-01
---

# Olmec Colossal Head

_Authored by Mary Harrsch (Photographed at the de Young Museum of Fine Arts, San Francisco)_

## Image File

[![Olmec Colossal Head](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/922.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/922.jpg)

## Image Caption

A basalt colossal head from the [Olmec civilization](https://www.worldhistory.org/Olmec_Civilization/) of Mesoamerica. Provenance: Veracruz, Mexico, 1200-900 BCE. The significance of the heads is disputed but as no two heads are alike and each headdress has distinctive designs they may represent rulers. (de Young Fine Arts Museum, San Francisco).

## Bibliography

- [Olmec: Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexico](http://deyoung.famsf.org/deyoung/exhibitions/olmec-colossal-masterworks-ancient-mexico "Olmec: Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexico"), accessed 1 Dec 2016.

## Cite This Work

### APA
Francisco), M. H. (. a. t. d. Y. M. o. F. A. S. (2012, October 15). Olmec Colossal Head. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/922/olmec-colossal-head/>
### Chicago
Francisco), Mary Harrsch (Photographed at the de Young Museum of Fine Arts, San. "Olmec Colossal Head." *World History Encyclopedia*, October 15, 2012. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/922/olmec-colossal-head/>.
### MLA
Francisco), Mary Harrsch (Photographed at the de Young Museum of Fine Arts, San. "Olmec Colossal Head." *World History Encyclopedia*, 15 Oct 2012, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/922/olmec-colossal-head/>.

## License & Copyright

[![copyright source](/images/partners/white-flickr.png)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/mharrsch/334036385/in/set-72157630018504346)This image was first published on [Flickr](http://www.flickr.com). [Original image](http://www.flickr.com/photos/mharrsch/334036385/in/set-72157630018504346) by [**Mary Harrsch (Photographed at the de Young Museum of Fine Arts, San Francisco)**](http://www.flickr.com/photos/mharrsch/334036385/in/set-72157630018504346). Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 15 October 2012. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.