Olmec colossal heads by Matthew Stirling in 1938 spurred the first archaeological investigations of Olmec culture. Seventeen confirmed examples are known from four sites within the Olmec heartland on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. Most colossal heads were sculpted from spherical boulders but two from San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán were re-carved from massive stone thrones. An additional monument, at Takalik Abaj in Guatemala, is a throne that may have been carved from a colossal head. This is the only known example from outside the Olmec heartland. Dating the monuments remains difficult because of the movement of many from their original contexts prior to archaeological
Civilisations (TV series) "Civilisations Festival" is a season of events organised by the BBC in partnership with museums, galleries, libraries and archives across the UK, created to coincide with "Civilisations". It runs from 2 to 11 March 2018 and the trailer for the festival was released on 8 February 2018. Profile Books issued two tie-in volumes adapted by Mary Beard and David Olusoga from their episodes; respectively, these books are "Civilisations: How Do We Look / The Eye of Faith" () and "Civilisations: First Contact / The Cult of Progress" (). The series was launched at a preview event at the National Gallery