ec ▁were ▁dogs ▁and , ▁therefore , ▁La ▁V enta ▁and ▁surrounding ▁areas ▁largely ▁dep ended ▁on ▁wild ▁game . ▁However , ▁the ▁rich , ▁all uv ial ▁soil ▁along ▁the ▁river ▁banks ▁allowed ▁for ▁multiple ▁har v ests ▁every ▁year ▁and ▁the ▁land , ▁in ▁general , ▁was ▁quite ▁b ount iful . ▁“ E v idence ▁has ▁been ▁found ▁for ▁corn ▁( Z ea ▁mais ) ▁of ▁te os inte ▁size ▁associated ▁with ▁cer am ic ▁material ▁dated ▁to ▁ 1 7 5 0 ▁B CE .” ▁Ma ize ▁was ▁the ▁primary ▁domestic ated ▁food ▁source ▁and ▁Se inf eld ’ s ▁( 2 0 0 7 ) ▁study ▁of ▁fe ast ing ▁at ▁the ▁nearby ▁sub - city ▁of ▁San ▁And res ▁un cover ed ▁likely ▁ma ize ▁use ▁in ▁be ver ages , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁c ocoa . ▁ ▁Bas alt ▁rock ▁was ▁brought ▁in ▁from ▁the ▁Tu xt la ▁Mountains ▁to ▁make ▁stone ▁monuments . ▁Whether ▁or ▁not ▁this ▁is ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁trade ▁with ▁another ▁culture ▁is ▁uncertain . ▁La ▁V enta ▁had ▁a ▁strong ▁concentration ▁of ▁special ized ▁craft s men ▁and ▁so ▁it ▁is ▁entirely ▁possible ▁that ▁more ▁goods ▁were ▁export ed ▁than ▁imported . ▁This ▁local ▁exchange , ▁and ▁the ▁resulting ▁relationship ▁system , ▁is ▁important , ▁though , ▁because ▁it ▁increased ▁and ▁cons olid ated ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁el ites ▁with ▁lux ury ▁goods ▁and ▁fe ast ing ▁food s ▁like ▁c ac ao ▁and ▁ma ize ▁be er . ▁“