Part icip ation ▁in ▁regional ▁and ▁long - distance ▁exchange ▁networks ▁provided ▁the ▁La ▁V enta ▁r uling ▁el ite ▁with ▁a ▁significant ▁source ▁of ▁legit im izing ▁power .” ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁and ▁exc av ation ▁Fr ans ▁Bl om ▁and ▁Oliver ▁La ▁Far ge ▁made ▁the ▁first ▁detailed ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁La ▁V enta ▁during ▁their ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁expedition , ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Tul ane ▁University . ▁Origin ally ▁La ▁V enta ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁May an ▁site . ▁It ▁wasn ' t ▁until ▁more ▁s oph istic ated ▁radi oc ar bon ▁techniques ▁were ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁that ▁Ol m ec ▁sites ▁were ▁ir ref ut ably ▁dated ▁as ▁preceding ▁the ▁May a . ▁ ▁La ▁V enta ▁was ▁first ▁exc av ated ▁by ▁Matthew ▁St ir ling ▁and ▁Philip ▁Dru cker ▁( ass isted ▁by ▁Wal do ▁Wed el ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁due ▁to ▁Dru cker ’ s ▁military ▁service ▁during ▁W W II ) ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁resulting ▁in ▁several ▁articles ▁by ▁St ir ling ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁a ▁two - volume ▁mon ograph ▁by ▁Dru cker . ▁St ir ling ▁is ▁sometimes ▁cred ited ▁with ▁ident ifying ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁civil ization ; ▁although ▁some ▁Ol m ec ▁sites ▁and ▁monuments ▁had ▁been ▁known ▁earlier , ▁it ▁was ▁St ir ling ' s ▁work ▁that ▁put ▁the