▁we ars ▁head ge ar ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 0 s - style ▁American ▁football ▁hel m ets , ▁although ▁each ▁is ▁unique ▁in ▁its ▁decor ation . ▁The ▁cons ensus ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁heads ▁likely ▁represent ▁mighty ▁Ol m ec ▁r ul ers . ▁ ▁Alt ars ▁ 4 ▁& ▁ 5 ▁Seven ▁bas alt ▁" alt ars " ▁were ▁found ▁at ▁La ▁V enta , ▁including ▁Alt ar ▁ 4 ▁and ▁Alt ar ▁ 5 . ▁These ▁alt ars , ▁roughly ▁ 2 ▁meters ▁high ▁and ▁twice ▁as ▁wide , ▁feature ▁an ▁elabor ately ▁dressed ▁and ▁sculpt ed ▁figure ▁on ▁the ▁center ▁front . ▁ ▁The ▁figure ▁on ▁Alt ar ▁ 4 ▁is ▁sitting ▁inside ▁what ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁cave ▁or ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁a ▁fant astic ▁creature , ▁holding ▁a ▁ro pe ▁which ▁wra ps ▁around ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁alt ar ▁to ▁his ▁right ▁and ▁left . ▁On ▁the ▁left ▁side , ▁the ▁ro pe ▁is ▁connected ▁to ▁a ▁se ated ▁bas - rel ief ▁figure . ▁The ▁right ▁side ▁is ▁er oded ▁away ▁but ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁scene ▁on ▁the ▁right . ▁ ▁The ▁cons ensus ▁today ▁is ▁that ▁these ▁" alt ars " ▁are ▁thr ones ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁r ul ers ▁were ▁se ated ▁during ▁important ▁rit uals ▁or ▁cer emon ies . ▁This ▁leads ▁many ▁research ers ▁to ▁interpret ▁the ▁figure ▁at ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁Alt ar ▁ 4 ▁as ▁a ▁r