Seventeen confirmed examples are known . 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 outside of the Olmec heartland on the Gulf Coast of Mexico . Possible fragments of additional colossal heads have been recovered at San Lorenzo and at San Fernando in Tabasco . Crude colossal stone heads are also known in the Southern Maya area where they are associated with the potbelly style of sculpture . Although some arguments have been made that they are pre @-@ Olmec , these latter monuments are generally believed to be influenced by the Olmec style of sculpture .