enta ▁and ▁created ▁a ▁program ▁of ▁protection , ▁rest oration , ▁and ▁research .” ▁Their ▁efforts ▁have ▁opened ▁the ▁site ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁generation ▁of ▁gradu ate ▁students ▁and ▁other ▁anth rop olog ists , ▁who ▁continue ▁to ▁un cover ▁new ▁evidence ▁about ▁the ▁myster ious ▁Ol m ec . ▁ ▁A ▁cer am ic ▁cyl inder ▁was ▁recovered ▁from ▁the ▁nearby ▁San ▁And rés ▁La ▁V enta ▁site ▁that ▁dates ▁to ▁around ▁ 6 5 0 ▁B CE ▁that ▁brings ▁evidence ▁to ▁the ▁argument ▁that ▁a ▁writing ▁system ▁existed ▁at ▁this ▁site . ▁A ▁bird ▁image ▁is ▁connected ▁to ▁two ▁g lyph s ▁on ▁speech ▁scroll s ▁that ▁represent ▁the ▁date ▁ 3 ▁A j aw ▁on ▁the ▁ 2 6 0 - day ▁Mes o amer ican ▁calendar . ▁The ▁se al ▁increases ▁the ▁lik elihood ▁that ▁a ▁writing ▁system ▁existed ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁ 2 6 0 - day ▁calendar ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁period . ▁ ▁Chron ology ▁“ B ecause ▁of ▁extremely ▁poor ▁view ing ▁conditions ▁in ▁the ▁tropical ▁rain for est , ▁different ▁parts ▁of ▁La ▁V enta ▁were ▁discovered ▁pie c eme al , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁dec ades ▁before ▁sch ol ars ▁realized ▁that ▁all ▁the ▁platforms ▁and ▁stone ▁sculpt ures ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁site , ▁an ▁ancient ▁city ▁that ▁was ▁occupied ▁from ▁ 9 0 0 - 4 0 0 ▁B CE .” ▁Ph ases ▁I - ▁IV ▁are ▁dated ▁based ▁on ▁radi oc ar bon ▁dates