Les Olmèques Et Les Cultures Du Golfe Du Mexique

Exhibition at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, 9 October 2020 - 25 July 2021

Nearly 4,000 years ago, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the Olmec civilisation was the origin of the Mesoamerican identity, in its socio-political organisation as well as in its artistic expressions, beliefs and rites. Over the following millennia, other groups enriched this vast region and the local pre-Hispanic cultural mosaic. Although they have not yet revealed all their secrets, the ancient populations of the Gulf of Mexico have left us with some remarkable remains.

Gathered together for the first time in Europe, three hundred exceptional pieces - inscriptions, sculptures, offering deposits... - allow us to better understand these remains. This exhibition catalogue also highlights the archaeological sites of the region and the relationship of the Olmec civilization with other Mesoamerican societies.