Editing Olmecs (section)

===La Venta===
{{main|La Venta}}
[[Image:La Venta Pirámide cara sur.jpg|thumb|Great pyramid in [[La Venta]], [[Tabasco]]]]
The first Olmec center, San Lorenzo, was all but abandoned around [[900s BC|900&nbsp;BCE]] at about the same time that La Venta rose to prominence.<ref>Diehl, p. 9.</ref> Widespread destruction of many San Lorenzo monuments also occurred around the 950s BCE, which may indicate an internal uprising or, less likely, an invasion.<ref>Coe (1967), p. 72. Alternatively, the mutilation of these monuments may be unrelated to the decline and abandonment of San Lorenzo. Some researchers believe that the mutilation had ritualistic aspects, particularly since most mutilated monuments were reburied in a row.</ref> The latest thinking, however, is that environmental changes may have been responsible for this shift in Olmec centers, with certain important rivers changing course.<ref>Pool, p. 135. Diehl, pp. 58–59, 82.</ref>

Following the decline of San Lorenzo, La Venta became the most prominent Olmec center, lasting from 900&nbsp;BCE until its abandonment around 400&nbsp;BCE.<ref>Diehl, p. 9. Pool gives dates 1000&nbsp;BCE&nbsp;– 400&nbsp;BCE for La Venta.</ref> La Venta sustained the Olmec cultural traditions with spectacular displays of power and wealth. The [[La Venta#Complex C (The Great Pyramid)|Great Pyramid]] was the largest Mesoamerican structure of its time. Even today, after 2500 years of erosion, it rises {{convert|34|m|abbr=on}} above the naturally flat landscape.<ref>Pool, p. 157.</ref> Buried deep within La Venta lay opulent, labor-intensive "offerings"&nbsp;– 1000 tons of smooth [[Serpentine group|serpentine]] blocks, large mosaic pavements, and at least 48 separate [[votive offering]]s of polished jade [[celt (tool)|celts]], pottery, figurines, and [[hematite]] [[Mirrors in Mesoamerican culture|mirrors]].<ref>Pool, p. 161–162.</ref>