 The Olmec colossal heads are at least seventeen monumental stone representations of human heads sculpted from large basalt boulders . The heads date from at least before 900 BC and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica . All portray mature men with fleshy cheeks , flat noses , and slightly crossed eyes ; their physical characteristics correspond to a type that is still common among the inhabitants of Tabasco and Veracruz . The backs of the monuments often are flat . The boulders were brought from the Sierra de los Tuxtlas mountains of Veracruz . Given that the extremely large slabs of stone used in their production were transported over large distances , requiring a great deal of human effort and resources , it is thought that the monuments represent portraits of powerful individual Olmec rulers . Each of the known examples has a distinctive headdress . The heads were variously arranged in lines or groups at major Olmec centres , but the method and logistics used to transport the stone to these sites remain unclear . 
 The Olmec colossal heads <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>are</mark></a>at least seventeen monumental stone representations of human heads sculpted from large basalt boulders . The heads date from at least before 900 BC and <a href='drop_aux' title='2'><mark>are</mark></a>a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica . All portray mature men with fleshy cheeks , flat noses , and slightly crossed eyes ; their physical characteristics correspond to a type <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>is</mark></a>still common among the inhabitants of Tabasco and Veracruz . The backs of the monuments often <a href='drop_aux' title='5'><mark>are</mark></a>flat . The boulders <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> brought from the Sierra de los Tuxtlas mountains of Veracruz . Given that the extremely large slabs of stone used in their production <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> transported over large distances , requiring a great deal of human effort and resources , it is thought that the monuments represent portraits of powerful individual Olmec rulers . Each of the known examples <a href='got' title='8'><mark>has</mark></a> a distinctive headdress . The heads <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>were</mark></a> variously arranged in lines or groups at major Olmec centres , but the method and logistics used to transport the stone to these sites remain unclear . 
The Olmec colossal heads at least seventeen monumental stone representations of human heads sculpted from bigass basalt boulders . da heads date from at least b4 900 cuz and a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica . All portray mature men with fleshy cheeks , flat noses , and slightly crossed eyes ; their physical characteristics correspond to a type still common among the inhabitants of Tabasco and Veracruz . The backs of tdamonuments often flat . The boulders was brought from thdaierra de los Tuxtlas mountains of Veracruz . Given dat thedatremely large slabs of stone used in their production was transported over large distances , requiring a great deal of human effort and resources , it is thought tdatthe monuments represent portraits of powerful individual Olmec rulers . Each of the known examples got a distinctive headdress . The heads was variously arranged in lines or groups at major Olmec centres , but the method and logistics used to transport the stone to dese sites remain unclear .