▁La ▁V enta ▁did ▁not ▁reach ▁its ▁ap og ee ▁until ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁San ▁Lorenzo , ▁after ▁ 9 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁After ▁ 5 0 0 ▁years ▁of ▁pre - em in ence , ▁La ▁V enta ▁was ▁all ▁but ▁abandoned ▁by ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁fourth ▁century ▁B CE . ▁ ▁Loc ated ▁on ▁an ▁island ▁in ▁a ▁coast al ▁sw amp ▁over looking ▁the ▁then - active ▁Río ▁Pal ma , ▁La ▁V enta ▁probably ▁controlled ▁a ▁region ▁between ▁the ▁Me z cal apa ▁and ▁Co atz aco al cos ▁rivers . ▁The ▁site ▁itself ▁is ▁about ▁ ▁in land ▁at ▁an ▁elev ation ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁ 1 0 ▁meters ▁above ▁sea ▁level ▁with ▁the ▁island ▁consisting ▁of ▁slightly ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁of ▁dry ▁land , ▁rest ing ▁on ▁the ▁largest ▁all uv ial ▁plane ▁in ▁Mexico . ▁The ▁hum id ▁tropical ▁climate ▁of ▁La ▁V enta ▁has ▁an ▁average ▁annual ▁temperature ▁of ▁ 2 6 ▁degrees ▁Cel si us ▁and ▁an ▁average ▁annual ▁ra inf all ▁of ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁mill im eters . ▁La ▁V enta ▁is ▁located ▁at ▁the ▁ne x us ▁of ▁four ▁different ▁e cos ystem s : ▁mar sh es , ▁mang ro ve ▁sw amps , ▁tropical ▁forest , ▁and ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁" There ▁was ▁a ▁large ▁resident ▁population ▁at ▁the ▁site , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁special ists ▁not ▁dedicated ▁to ▁food ▁production , ▁and ▁political , ▁religious , ▁economic