▁exc av ations ▁followed ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁fund ed ▁by ▁gener ous ▁gr ants ▁from ▁the ▁National ▁Geographic ▁Society . ▁On ▁their ▁return ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁Dru cker ▁and ▁He izer ▁saw ▁that , ▁as ▁others ▁had ▁already ▁claimed , ▁the ▁veget ation ▁previously ▁covering ▁the ▁m ound , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁their ▁own ▁assumptions , ▁had ▁led ▁to ▁them ▁previously ▁publishing ▁a ▁completely ▁wrong ▁account ▁of ▁its ▁shape . ▁It ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁a ▁round ▁fl uted ▁cone ▁with ▁ten ▁rid ges ▁and ▁de press ions ▁around ▁it , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁s lop ing ▁rectangle , ▁leading ▁to ▁a ▁flat ▁platform ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁assumed . ▁Poss ibly ▁the ▁shape ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁match ▁or ▁represent ▁the ▁mountains ▁nearby . ▁They ▁also ▁obtained ▁better ▁carbon ▁samples ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁achieve ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁key ▁goals ▁of ▁the ▁exc av ation ▁of ▁La ▁V enta — pro ving ▁that ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁were ▁a ▁distinct ▁and ▁separate ▁culture ▁that ▁pre - dates ▁the ▁first ▁May a ▁settlement s . ▁ ▁Reb e cca ▁Gonz ale z - L au ck ▁led ▁an ▁IN A H ▁( Inst ituto ▁Nacional ▁de ▁Ant rop ología ▁e ▁Historia ) ▁team ▁on ▁several ▁dig s ▁at ▁La ▁V enta ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁Her ▁team ▁focused ▁on ▁mapping ▁the ▁site ▁and ▁“ ended ▁and ▁revers ed ▁the ▁urban ▁enc ro achment ▁on ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁site ▁of ▁La ▁V