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Location: This monument was discovered at the end of March 1970 by a perceptive student, attached to Beverido's survey project, who suggested that a large rock (on which the crew had sat to eat lunch) might be the top of a colossal head. The monument was moved to the central plaza of Santiago Tuxtla at the behest of the mayor Ignacio Diaz Bustamente during august of 1970 (Beverido 1987:185-186).
Associations: Beverido excavated "en el quadrante S.E, nivel 14, de 2.50 a 2.60 m. algo interesante, se trata de una ofrenda consistente en un plato como de 25 cms. de diametro y cubierto con otro algo menor, invertido, conteniendo un cuchillo de obsidiana como de 18 cms." (Beverido 1987:186).
Condition: Well preserved, a number of small chips have been cemented back into place around the lower edge of the cap.
Photographs: Present report, Plate 47; de la Fuente 1977:64.
Drawings: Present report, Figures 43, 44, 45, 46; de la Fuente 1977:8.
References: de la Fuente 1974, 1976, 1977; Beverido 1987.
Carved Areas: top, sides, front and back.
Material: This monument was found subsequent to Williams' work. However, there is nothing about it to suggest that its material is any different than that of Monument 1.
Dimensions: Height 340 cm, Width 300 cm, Depth 300 cm.
Description: Cerro el Vigia Monument 1 is a Colossal Head rendered in the geometric substyle of Olmec art. The face of Monument 1 is rendered almost entirely in flat relief with few curved surfaces. The cheeks are not well rounded and the lines at the nose and mouth are awkwardly rendered. The nasion and brow pads are rendered as angular flat relief surfaces. The nasion is triangular and the brow pads are not well defined. The eye orbits are somewhat less angular and the eyes project from the hollow orbits. The eyes have no iris and the upper lid is indicated by a ridge across the eyeball. The nose is short and broad with a wide flat bridge. The upper lip is covered by a buccal mask which curves down at the corners. The lower lip is straight and occupies the space within the curve of the upper lip. The lower edge of the lower lip is poorly defined.
The ears are crudely rendered, with many false starts, in flat relief with incised internal features. The ear opening is not represented and the earlobe is elongated to take a profile ear ornament. The edges of the ear ornaments are irregular and are ornamented with incision.
The headgear is a plain skullcap with a headband encircling the cranium. A chinstrap descends from the headband, passes under the ear ornament and disappears. The back of the head is featureless except for the headgear.
Remarks: The offering found in association with this sculpture, a human head between two vessels, is found at Maya sites of all periods. Though the offering is clearly not contemporaneous with the colossal head, it constitutes interesting evidence of Maya influence in the region.
