La Venta: Mesoamerica's dominant center 850-350 BCE, first pyramid ~110 ft. Complex A had 5 burial chambers with jade, stone axes, jaguar mosaics. 58 villages surrounded the core with bilateral symmetry. Unique court enclosed by columnar basalt shafts.
La Venta:: First Mesoamerica'sn Pyramid Built 850-350 BCE
MexicoGeneral
Site mentioned
Key facts
- Flourished from approximately 850 to 350 BCE
- Most important center in Mesoamerica's during this period
- First pyramid in Mesoamerica's built here, reaching nearly 110 ft (34 m) in height
- Complex A contained five sophisticated burial chambers with basalt columns
- Burial chambers contained jade ornaments, polished stone axes, and mosaic floors depicting jaguar designs
- Complex E had serpentine and greenstone workshop controlled by elites
- 58 villages identified around the site's core
- East and west sides of the ceremonial center display bilateral symmetry
- Ceremonial court enclosed by unique fence of upright columnar basalt shafts
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.