The Olmec are considered by historians to be the "mother" culture of Mesoamerica. All later cultures, such as the Veracruz, Maya, Toltec, and Aztecs all borrowed from the Olmec. Certain Olmec gods, such as the Feathered Serpent, Maize God, and Water God, would live on in the cosmos of these later civilizations. Although certain aspects of Olmec art, such as the colossal heads and massive thrones, were not adopted by later cultures, the influence of certain Olmec artistic styles on later Maya and Aztec works is obvious to even the untrained eye. The Olmec religion may have even survived: twin statues discovered at the El Azuzul site appear to be characters from the Popol Vuh, the sacred book the Maya used centuries later.
