▁as ▁stages ▁where ▁rit ual ▁drama ▁was ▁en act ed ▁for ▁view ers ▁within ▁the ▁pla za . ▁These ▁rit uals ▁were ▁likely ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁" alt ars ", ▁monuments , ▁and ▁the ▁st ela e ▁surrounding ▁and ▁within ▁the ▁pla za . ▁These ▁monuments , ▁including ▁Col oss al ▁Head ▁ 1 ▁( Mon ument ▁ 1 ), ▁were ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁large ▁size ▁and ▁were ▁placed ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁position ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁convey ▁their ▁messages ▁to ▁many ▁view ers ▁at ▁once . ▁ ▁Complex ▁E ▁Though ▁there ▁are ▁not ▁any ▁actual ▁houses ▁remaining ▁in ▁this ▁area ▁( or ▁anywhere ▁at ▁La ▁V enta ) ▁“ a ▁chemical ▁evaluation ▁of ▁the ▁soil ▁revealed ▁unusual ▁concentr ations ▁of ▁ph osph ate , ▁indicating ▁the ▁possibility ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁resident ial ▁zone .” ▁ ▁Sum mary ▁The ▁arrangement ▁of ▁the ▁m ounds , ▁platforms , ▁complex es , ▁and ▁monument al ▁artifact s ▁at ▁La ▁V enta ▁created ▁a ▁unique ▁civil ▁and ▁cer emon ial ▁center ▁that , ▁in ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁Reb e cca ▁Gonz ale z - L au ck , ▁constit utes ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁examples ▁of ▁large - scale ▁ide ological ▁communic ations ▁through ▁the ▁interaction ▁of ▁architecture ▁and ▁sculpt ure ". ▁ ▁Monument al ▁artifact s ▁at ▁La ▁V enta ▁ ▁Col oss al ▁heads ▁C ertain ly ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁of ▁the ▁La ▁V enta ▁monument al ▁artifact s ▁are ▁the ▁four ▁col oss al ▁heads . ▁Se vent een ▁col oss al