The new findings include a large center at an important place for the ancient Olmec culture that is known for its large stone statues of heads.

新发现包括一个属于古代奥尔梅克文明的大型仪式中心，该文明以巨石雕像而闻名。

All were a variation of the Olmec model of a temple overlooking an open square, flanked by smaller temples and palaces.

一座神庙俯视着一片开阔的广场，周围散布着较小的庙宇和宫殿—后世的城市规划只不过是奥尔梅克式的不同变体。

And the Inca, Aztec, Maya, and Olmec cultures all built pyramid-like structures for royal burials and for their deities.

印加、阿兹特克、玛雅和奥尔梅克文化都造了类似金字塔的结构，用于皇室墓葬和他们的神灵。

Olmec masks have been intriguing historians for a long time.

奥尔梅克面具一直让历史学家着迷。

They've been called the mother culture-the 'cultura madre'-of Central America, and it was this Olmec mother culture that produced this unsettling face.

被称为中美洲的母体文化。

By 400 BC La Venta, along with all the other Olmec centres, was abandoned.

四百年，拉本塔和其他所有的奥尔梅克中心城市都被废弃了。

But the Olmec sense of personal beautification could go far beyond cosmetics or jewellery.

但奥尔梅克人的审美还超越了化妆品与珠宝，进入了神话与信仰的领域。

Although we may be tempted to think that such an ancient civilization had to be founded on military might, the Olmec civilization was actually built on trade.

虽然我们可能会认为这样一个古老的文明必须立在军事力量之上，但奥尔梅克文明实际上是立在贸易之上的。

And around the time the first colossal stone heads were carved by the ancient Olmec civilization in what is today Mexico.

大约在同一时期，古代奥尔梅克文明在现今的墨西哥雕刻出了第一批巨大的石质头像。

There is now little doubt, Michael Coe, the Yale archaeologist, wrote in 1994, that all later civilizations in Mesoamerica, whether Mexican or Maya, ultimately rest on an Olmec base.

耶鲁大学考古学家迈克尔·科 （Michael Coe） 在 1994 年写道，现在毫无疑问，中美洲所有后来的文明，无论是墨西哥文明还是玛雅文明，最终都立在奥尔梅克的基础上。

Number three is the Olmec religion.

第三是奥尔梅克宗教。

These strange animal hybrid figurines may indicate that hallucinogenic drugs were an important part of the Olmec religion and their ceremonies.

这些奇怪的动物混血雕像可能表明致幻药物是奥尔梅克宗教及其仪式的重要组成部分。

This site had a thriving religious community that appears to have played a significant role in the Olmec culture.

该遗址有一个繁荣的宗教社区，似乎在奥尔梅克文化中发挥了重要作用。

It was the center of the whole city and was possibly the largest structure in the Olmec world.

它是整个城市的中心，可能是奥尔梅克世界最大的。

(spooky music) Around 400 BC the Olmec civilization collapsed, taking with them their art, history, and even religion.

（幽灵般的音乐）大约在 400 年， 奥尔梅克文明崩溃了，带走了他们的艺术、历史， 甚至宗教。

However, these early people were pre-civilization, and the Olmec city arose around 1500 BCE.

然而，这些早期的人是文明，奥尔梅克城出现于 1500 年左右。

It remained one of the most important Olmec cities until 400 BCE, when it was mysteriously abandoned.

它一直是奥尔梅克最重要的城市之一，直到 400 年被神秘地遗弃。

Archeologists have found evidence of this game at Olmec sites, including rubber balls and stone " yokes" that look like an upside-down letter U.

考古学家在奥尔梅克遗址发现了这种游戏的证据，包括橡皮球和看起来像倒置字母 U 的石头“轭” 。

Historians believe that the Olmec leaders wielded considerable authority and could mobilize the population; historians even argue that this power set the Olmecs apart from the other Mesoamerican tribes at the time.

历史学家认为， 奥尔梅克领导人拥有相当大的权力， 可以动员民众。历史学家甚至争辩说， 这种力量使奥尔梅克人有别于当时的其他中美洲部落。

It appears to have been a center of Olmec power and culture, but by 900 BCE, the town was mostly abandoned.

它似乎是奥尔梅克权力和文化的中心，但到 900 年， 该镇大部分已被废弃。