San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan

San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán (or San Lorenzo) is the collective name for three related archaeological sites—San Lorenzo, Tenochtitlán and Potrero Nuevo—located in the southeast portion of the Mexican state of Veracruz. Along with La Venta and Tres Zapotes, it was one of the three major cities of the Olmec (it was the major center of Olmec culture from 1200 BC to 900 BC). San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán is best known today for the colossal stone heads unearthed there, the greatest of which weigh 28 metric tons (28 long tons; 31 short tons) or more and are 3 metres (9.8 ft) high.

The site should not be confused with Tenochtitlan, the Aztec site in Mexico City.

The earliest evidence for Olmec culture is found at nearby El Manatí, a sacrificial bog with artifacts dating to 1600 BC or earlier. Sedentary agriculturalists had lived in the area for centuries before San Lorenzo developed into a regional center.

San Lorenzo was the first Olmec site that demonstrates state level complexity. The site dominated the gulf coast lowlands, creating Olmec cultural diffusion throughout the rest of Mesoamerica. The iconic finds at the site are the famous colossal heads. The colossal heads stand up to 200 centimetres (79 in) tall. According to archaeological finds, archaeologists have divided the Olmec history into four stages: Formation stage (1700–1300 BC), Integration stage (1300–900 BC) Expansion stage (900–300 BC) and Disintegration stage (300 BC – 200AD). Another name archaeologists use is for categorizing the Olmecs is the Formative Period. Formative meaning, the pivotal years that laid the ground work for state level, complex societies. Formative Mesoamerica can be divided into three periods: Early Formative (1800–900 BC), Middle Formative (900–400 BC) and Late Formative (400 BC – 200 AD). San Lorenzo was the largest city in Mesoamerica from roughly 1200 BC to 900 BC, at which time it had begun to be overtaken by the Olmec center of La Venta. By 800 BC, there was little or no population, although there was an important recolonization of the San Lorenzo plateau from 600 to 400 BC and again from circa 800 to 1000 AD.

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