▁and ▁influenced ▁Mes o amer ica . ▁The ▁spread ▁of ▁Ol m ec ▁culture ▁eventually ▁became ▁the ▁cultural ▁features ▁found ▁throughout ▁all ▁Mes o amer ican ▁soci eties . ▁ ▁R ising ▁from ▁the ▁sed ent ary ▁agricult ural ists ▁of ▁the ▁G ulf ▁Low lands ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 6 0 0 ▁B CE ▁in ▁the ▁Early ▁Form ative ▁period , ▁the ▁Ol m ec s ▁held ▁s way ▁in ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁heart land , ▁an ▁area ▁on ▁the ▁southern ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico ▁coast al ▁plain , ▁in ▁Ver ac ru z ▁and ▁Tab as co . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁La ▁V enta , ▁the ▁first ▁Ol m ec ▁site ▁of ▁San ▁Lorenzo ▁domin ated ▁the ▁modern ▁day ▁state ▁of ▁Ver ac ru z ▁( 1 2 0 0 - 9 0 0 ▁B CE ). ▁ ▁R ough ly ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁ ▁wide , ▁with ▁the ▁Co atz al co al cos ▁River ▁system ▁running ▁through ▁the ▁middle , ▁the ▁heart land ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁major ▁Ol m ec ▁sites ▁of ▁La ▁V enta , ▁San ▁Lorenzo ▁T eno cht it lán , ▁Lag una ▁de ▁los ▁Cer ros , ▁and ▁T res ▁Z ap otes . ▁ ▁By ▁no ▁later ▁than ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁B CE , ▁San ▁Lorenzo ▁had ▁emer ged ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁Ol m ec ▁center . ▁While ▁a ▁layer ▁of ▁occupation ▁at ▁La ▁V enta ▁dates ▁to ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁B CE ,