x ▁A ), ▁the ▁Great ▁Py ram id ▁( Comple x ▁C ), ▁and ▁the ▁large ▁pla za ▁to ▁their ▁south . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁cer emon ial ▁center , ▁La ▁V enta ▁contains ▁an ▁elaborate ▁series ▁of ▁buried ▁offer ings ▁and ▁tomb s , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁monument al ▁sculpt ures . ▁These ▁stone ▁monuments , ▁st ela e , ▁and ▁" alt ars " ▁were ▁carefully ▁distributed ▁amongst ▁the ▁m ounds ▁and ▁platforms . ▁The ▁m ounds ▁and ▁platforms ▁were ▁built ▁largely ▁from ▁local ▁s ands ▁and ▁cl ays . ▁It ▁is ▁assumed ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁platforms ▁were ▁once ▁to pped ▁with ▁wooden ▁structures , ▁which ▁have ▁long ▁since ▁disappeared . ▁ ▁Complex ▁C ▁( The ▁Great ▁Py ram id ) ▁Complex ▁C , ▁“ The ▁Great ▁Py ram id ,” ▁is ▁the ▁central ▁building ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁layout , ▁is ▁constructed ▁almost ▁entirely ▁out ▁of ▁cl ay , ▁and ▁is ▁easily ▁seen ▁from ▁far ▁away . ▁The ▁structure ▁is ▁built ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁a ▁closed - in ▁platform — this ▁is ▁where ▁Bl om ▁and ▁La ▁Far ge ▁discovered ▁Alt ars ▁ 2 ▁and ▁ 3 , ▁thereby ▁discover ing ▁La ▁V enta ▁and ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁civil ization . ▁A ▁carbon ▁sample ▁from ▁a ▁burn ed ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁Str ucture ▁C - 1 ’ s ▁surface ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁ 3 9 4 ▁ ± ▁ 3 0 ▁B CE . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁py ram ids ▁known ▁in ▁Mes o amer