Talk:Olmecs/Archive 1

message: I'm a bit puzzled by the recent additions of genetic studies; last I heard archaeologists had an unfortunate lack of Olmec skeletons due to such not being preserved in the harsh jungle soil. If the intended point is about something more general than the specific Pre-Classic Olmec, perhaps it belongs in some other article. Wondering, -- Infrogmation 04:56, 19 May 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Genetics 

message: The extensive were-jaguar section occupied roughly a third of this entire Olmec article and was already discussed in the Jaguars in Mesoamerican culture article, so I pulled it out and moved it over there.  It still needs a bit of smoothing over there, but that's the best place for it IMHO.  In its place, I left a link to that and to the Olmec figurine article, which needs to be improved somewhat.  Madman 04:37, 23 January 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  The were-jaguar 

message: Olmec culture remains unknown until second half of the XIXe century. The specialists are agree to fix the beginnings of the first Mesoamerican civilization in 1862 with the fortuitous discovery of the first colossal head at Hueyapan (Veracruz) by María Melgar y Serrano. Today, according to the French school promoted by C. Niederberger and recovery in particular by C. Magni, the olmec culture seems a multi-ethnic unit and pluri-linguistics which extends from 1200 BC to about 500 BC on a vast part of the Mesoamerica. Its presence is attested on old levels of occupation on the Coast of the Gulf, in the Basin of Mexico City and along the Pacifique coast in the States of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas. Beyond the Mexican borders, we find artefacts olmec until the south of Costa Rica. Among the major centre, we can quote : San Lorenzo (Veracruz), La Venta (Tabasco), Chalcatzingo (Morelos), Teopantecuanitlán (Guerrero) and Abaj Takalik (or Takalik Abaj) in Guatemala.
:: Hi Olmeque, good to see some european interest in Mesoamerican studies. However I think that your additions are a little out of place, as well as slightly controversial. The part of the article you edited was about the history of the Olmec culture, not about the scholarly history of olmec studies. The inserted part seems to be a first draught to the history of olmec studies emphasizing recent french research, this should go in another part of the article, also while you do refer to the researchers it would be nice with some exact references to books and pages where the information is found. Also you probably should solicit grammaticval assistance from native english speakers before adding the material to the article in English. I do think that your contribution is of use, only that it should find its correct place in the structure of the article. Maunus 18:15, 27 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  I made a very stubby start at a "History of scholarly research on the Olmec" section and moved the "school" material there, as that seems the relevent place. -- Infrogmation 19:04, 27 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I wonder if this editor is our friend 80.94.110.52 who is determined to list his French language book in our References, and has been to a number of other Wikipedias (e.g. German, Italian) with the same mission.  I will not speculate on his/her motives.  See Talk section above this for our exchange.  Madman 19:07, 27 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  Thanks very much Infrogmation and Maunus to help me about this part of article that I was edited. The references to books and pages are in Footnotes. Olmeque 22:18, 27 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Second school

message: There have been many reverts on this article during the past few days. I have protected the page until the content dispute is settled here. I have no opinion on the subject itself and the current content dispute. -- Rune Welsh | ταλκ 12:55, 4 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: The page is not currently protected; you should be able to edit it. I don't know why it has gotten multiple vandalisms (has there been some pop-culture reference to the Olmec recently?), but I and some others are keeping an eye on it, and it can be reprotected if things get too bad. -- Infrogmation 02:37, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Page protection 

message: I just wanted to note that a recent news item (reported by NPR) describes the following significant Olmec-related discovery: "A heap of debris taken from a quarry in Veracruz, Mexico has yielded a stone block inscribed with what appears to be the oldest writing ever found in the Americas." Tobogganoggin 03:12, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Very cool, Toboggan Noggin!!  This is the first real glimpse at a possible Olmec script. (Me, I don't count that supposed cylindrical glyph from 650 BC.).  Here's a better article.   Anyone around here have a subscription to Science magazine??  If so, try this. Madman 03:31, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Here's another story regarding the find.  Interesting stuff.  deeceevoice 18:55, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: See Olmec hieroglyphs where I have also put a couple of other references. Evertype 22:16, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Recent Discovery in New World Writing

message: I added a  template after the claim that Niederberger has promoted this particular "school of thought".  In my research, I have not found a single instance where she formulates this concept.  I look forward to seeing a particular citation.  Thanks, Madman 04:04, 27 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I added pages about French School promoted by Niederberger. --Olmeque 18:58, 27 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Added citation needed on Niederberger 

message: Under "History of scholarly research on the Olmec":
"However early Mesoamericanists at first assumed the Olmec were likely no earlier than the Classic era."
This should probably be edited to:
"At first, early Mesoamericanists assumed that the Olmec existed no earlier than the Classic era."
Also, is "Mesoamericanists" even a word? Would "historians" be better? I have no time to check.
Please institute this change, since the page is locked for editing.
24.218.175.211 18:39, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Mesoamericanists is a word and it includes not only historians but archeologists, anthropologists, linguists, historians and whomever else might specialize in ancient and modern Mesoamerica.·Maunus· ·ƛ· 12:02, 22 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Minor Grammar Mistakes 

message: Is there any good reason to leave s-protect going? I know this page gets whacked by alternative theories but we shouldn't be leaving protection on for months at a time. Marskell 09:30, 22 March 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: It's not so much the alternative theorists but the schoolboys.   For whatever reason, this article seems to be a special target for the typical juvenile graffiti.  Madman 11:57, 22 March 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I don't think it's worse here than at other pages. I'd say drop the protection - maybe Richard Diehl himself is planning to contribute anonymously tomorrow... graffitti we can just revert.·Maunus· ·ƛ· 12:00, 22 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Protection

message: "The only other ancient culture known to have achieved such high temperatures is that of Ancient Egypt. Find Articles, see also faience"
*1. Because this is flatly untrue. Many other cultures achieved ceramic temperatures just as high or higher.
*2. The source provided has no references to only Olmecs achieving 900'C temperature for ceramic firing along with Egyptians.
Intranetusa 02:50, 1 October 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Fine with me.  I often wondered about that "fact", but it wasn't high on my list to investigate.  Appreciate your attention to detail, Madman 04:05, 2 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Deleted this portion

message: At the the suggestion of User:Nunquam Dormio, I have indefintely protected this article due to the high levels of vandalism by unregistered editors. --BrownHairedGirl (talk) • (contribs) 08:07, 4 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Semi-protected 

message: [removed lengthy personal essay in supposed support of Afrocentrist origins, which was added by 70.240.252.121 (talk) 20:16, 15 October 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Anon 70.240, article talk pages are supposed to be used for discussion on ways and means of improving the article itself. Talk pages are not venues to list random forked personal essays and alternative POVs. If you wish to argue for the inclusion of some particular piece of information, then fine; but posting chunks of unaddressed pseudo-article text on talk pages is improper use - see in particular the WP:FORUM policy.--cjllw ʘ TALK 00:12, 16 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  The Olmecs of Afro-America