Why is it said that the Olmecs were good at art?

          Artistically, the Olmecs were far ahead of their contemporary civilizations.

          The most identified symbol of the Olmec Civilization is the colossal head. Archeologists have found huge stone heads at almost all Olmec sites. Most of them were carved in basalt. The heads could be nearly three metres high, and five tonnes in weight. They were probably portrais of Olmec rulers. There were twenty heads found from the southern Mexican cities, each showing unique facial expressions.

          Monumental stone art and cave paintings make up a significant portion of Olmec artistic tradition. They were also gifted woodworkers, though only a few survived.

          Jade and ceramic were the popular materials for sculpture. One of the gods most commonly rendered in small sculpture was the Rain Baby, who is a toothless baby with an open-mouth.

          As Olmec artists were so advanced, their works had a profound impact on later Mexican cultures.