, ▁and / or ▁military ▁relations ▁with ▁other ▁sites ▁within ▁its ▁area ▁of ▁influence ." ▁Unfortunately , ▁few , ▁if ▁any , ▁of ▁the ▁resident ial ▁structures ▁surrounding ▁the ▁large ▁cent ers ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁have ▁surv ived . ▁The ▁main ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁is ▁a ▁complex ▁of ▁cl ay ▁constru ctions ▁stretch ed ▁out ▁for ▁ ▁in ▁a ▁north - s outh ▁direction , ▁although ▁the ▁site ▁is ▁orient ed ▁ 8 ° ▁west ▁of ▁north . ▁The ▁urban ized ▁zone ▁may ▁have ▁covered ▁an ▁area ▁as ▁large ▁of ▁ 2   km 2 . ▁This ▁particular ▁site ▁layout ▁is ▁the ▁way ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁from ▁ 6 0 0 ▁– ▁ 4 0 0 ▁B CE , ▁which ▁is ▁when ▁the ▁final ▁Ol m ec ▁occupation ▁occurred . ▁This ▁site ▁is ▁particularly ▁fasc in ating ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁layout — not ▁only ▁does ▁Complex ▁A ▁face ▁within ▁ 8 ▁degrees ▁of ▁true ▁North , ▁but ▁the ▁east ▁and ▁west ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁are ▁almost ▁identical , ▁showing ▁bil ater al ▁symmetry . ▁This ▁is ▁perhaps ▁related ▁to ▁religion ▁( it ’ s ▁fairly ▁spec ulative , ▁at ▁this ▁point ) ▁but ▁it ▁certainly ▁shows ▁a ▁high ▁level ▁of ▁s oph istic ation ▁and ▁city - pl anning . ▁ ▁Un like ▁later ▁May a ▁or ▁Az te c ▁cities , ▁La ▁V enta ▁was ▁built ▁from ▁earth ▁and ▁cl ay — there ▁was ▁little ▁locally ▁abund ant ▁stone ▁for ▁the ▁construction . ▁Lar ge ▁bas alt ▁stones ▁were ▁brought