ated ▁with ▁what ▁has ▁been ▁interpreted ▁as ▁representing ▁religious ▁symbol ism . ▁Such ▁cel ts ▁and ▁other ▁j ade ▁artifact s ▁were ▁offered ▁to ▁de ities ▁during ▁cer emon ies ▁at ▁La ▁V enta ▁and ▁the ▁belief ▁in ▁super natural ▁be ings ▁is ▁ev iden ced ▁in ▁Ol m ec ▁artifact s . ▁However , ▁it ▁is ▁difficult ▁to ▁tell ▁which ▁important ▁figures ▁remaining ▁on ▁the ▁stone ▁monuments ▁and ▁artifact s ▁are ▁gods ▁and ▁which ▁are ▁human ▁leaders . ▁In ▁fact , ▁there ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁little ▁difference ▁between ▁the ▁divine ▁and ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁king , ▁in ▁their ▁ide ology . ▁ ▁Struct ures ▁at ▁La ▁V enta ▁show ▁that ▁“ vari ous ▁architect ural - sc ulpt ural ▁can ons ▁were ▁firm ly ▁established — can ons ▁that ▁were , ▁in ▁ess ence , ▁used ▁in ▁civ ic - cer emon ial ▁constru ctions ▁throughout ▁the ▁cultural ▁history ▁of ▁ancient ▁Middle ▁America .” ▁In ▁other ▁words , ▁most ▁of ▁what ▁we ▁know ▁about ▁the ▁Ol m ec , ▁from ▁La ▁V enta , ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁architecture ▁and ▁artifact s ▁left ▁behind ▁and ▁from ▁these ▁cl ues ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁disc ern ed ▁that ▁May a ▁and ▁Az te c ▁culture ▁and ▁ide ology ▁was ▁heavily ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁“ m other ▁culture .” ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁definite ▁connection ▁between ▁animals ▁and ▁spiritual ity ▁among ▁the ▁Ol m ec , ▁especially ▁with ▁animal ▁characteristics ▁combined ▁with ▁human ▁features . ▁This ▁is ▁represented ▁in ▁Ol m ec