Olmec of african descent?

The Mexicans you mentioned could have been descended from black slaves. Alternatively, a tribe of Africans may have migrated to the Americas during the last Ice Age, founded the Olmec civilisation and gradually become absorbed by the Asian-descended majority, hence the black Olmecs' disappearance. However, this still doesn't explain why they left Africa and how they crossed the sea without advanced boats

Nick,we Europeans(Africans?),were not first on earth's soil!Diversity in DNA genes would have been followed few years after now.Migration's part could not be neglected also!Features of face show us Polynesian/Mongol influence.Absence of color confuse our minds.


Edited by medenaywe - 29-Apr-2011 at 14:37

It's much more likely imo, that it is Polynesian influence that we find in Olmec sculpture. In fact, the heads themselves appear Polynesian. Polynesian DNA is evident in Mexico, as well. The Olmec themselves have origin stories of coming to the Mexico coast on three flotillas of boats.

I have no training but am very interested in the ceramics of the americas. Especially the Peruvian, such as the Moche. Some have mentioned a possible Mycenean link.

The idea that America was out of touch with non-american cultures can only be supported  if one closes the eyes and mind for all the evidence.

This terracotta head is actually post-Olmec, from the classic Mesoamerican period (ca. 200-900 AD) The Africoid features  speak for themselves. On top of that we see the facial scarification of African communities.

Jalapa Museum, Vera Cruz Mexico ( classic period ca. 200-900 AD)

 

Regarding the Olmecs. As I argued before, they were overwhelmingly Amerindians, and not Africans as some have claimed.  But the evidence does show that there were  some caucasoids and negroids in the region in Olmec times.  Several Mesoamerican histories  also speak of (bearded) fair-skinned and black people from the east, across the sea, who visited the region in ancient times.

 

Polynesians reached the Americas as well but seem to have little to do with the Olmecs since even by the earliest dates they were only in eastern Polynesia by circa 100 AD which is way post-Olmec.

 

Edited by Sander - 16-Jun-2011 at 19:55

Originally posted by MERN It seems to me that if Van Sertima's ideas were credible, they'd be more mainstream. I've seen his name before in other "Afrocentric" literature ("Egyptians were black", "Moors were black", "Israelites werw black", "Hannibal/Cleopatra/Beethoven was black", etc...). That doesn't give his credibility much of a boost.

Edited by Felakuti - 18-Sep-2011 at 20:00

I erased blank post Amah Jones,hope you do not mind about it!Welcome aboard.

This is a topic- Afro-centrism, in Egypt and other places, has been bashed to pieces at hundreds of web sites. Certainly, at one time, there was a great barrier between the indigenous people of the Northern coastal part of Africa (I.e. the Med area) and that of those who mostly lived below that barrier (I.e. below the Sahara!).   

There even seems to have been a barrier between middle African and our present S. Africa since the Boer/Dutch settlers of present day S. Africa and surrounding territories, whereby this area was mostly un-inhabited by Dark skinned(Negro/ Negroid)natives. This information is from some Dutch information I read a long time ago. And, please do not jump upon me by my usage of the above terms! The NAACP still uses the term "colored people" for God's sake. Just like the "American Negro College Fund"! Politically Correct my ass!

Hell, today children are kept from reading the books of Samuel Clemens just because of language! I fart at those people who try to hide or distort our history!

Regards, Ron   

Edited by opuslola - 12-Dec-2013 at 21:12