"A thorough study of the ancient history of mankind allows you to fully feel the breath of eternity, the breath of worlds long gone from us" - this is how V. I. Gulyaev begins his book. Such books give the reader not only information about certain historical and prehistoric realities, but also teach him to think, instruct him in the high art of interpreting and summarizing the facts of the hard-to-recognize reality of bygone eras. The author faced a difficult task: to write a book that would make the reader "feel the breath of eternity," to give him a clear idea not only of the character of the mysterious Olmec culture, but also of the romance of true searches. Such a task is difficult primarily because we are talking about a culture that is absolutely unknown to a wide readership, and about problems around which there are heated debates.