▁a ▁baby ▁and ▁one ▁without , ▁and ▁they ▁sit ▁facing ▁each ▁other ▁on ▁the ▁southern ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Py ram id . ▁ ▁Social ▁structure ▁La ▁V enta ▁was ▁the ▁cultural ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁concentration ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁It ▁contained ▁a ▁“ con cent r ation ▁of ▁power ,” ▁as ▁reflected ▁by ▁the ▁she er ▁enorm ity ▁of ▁the ▁architecture ▁and ▁the ▁extreme ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁artifact s ▁un cover ed . ▁La ▁V enta ▁is ▁perhaps ▁the ▁largest ▁Ol m ec ▁city ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁controlled ▁and ▁expanded ▁by ▁an ▁extremely ▁complex ▁hier arch ical ▁system ▁with ▁a ▁king , ▁as ▁the ▁r uler ▁and ▁the ▁el ites ▁below ▁him . ▁Pri ests ▁had ▁power ▁and ▁influence ▁over ▁life ▁and ▁death ▁and ▁likely ▁great ▁political ▁s way ▁as ▁well . ▁Unfortunately , ▁not ▁much ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁the ▁political ▁or ▁social ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁Ol m ec , ▁though ▁new ▁d ating ▁techniques ▁might , ▁at ▁some ▁point , ▁reve al ▁more ▁information ▁about ▁this ▁el us ive ▁culture . ▁It ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁the ▁signs ▁of ▁status ▁exist ▁in ▁the ▁artifact s ▁recovered ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁such ▁as ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁fe ather ed ▁he address es ▁or ▁of ▁individuals ▁we aring ▁a ▁mirror ▁on ▁their ▁ch est ▁or ▁fore head . ▁“ High - status ▁objects ▁were ▁a ▁significant ▁source ▁of ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁La ▁V enta ▁polity ▁political ▁power , ▁economic ▁power , ▁and ▁ide ological ▁power . ▁They ▁were ▁tools ▁used ▁by