▁most ▁important ▁cer emon ial - c iv ic ▁cent ers ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁Form ative ▁era . ▁Most ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁Ol m ec ▁religion ▁is ▁spec ulative , ▁but ▁certain ▁patterns ▁do ▁emer ge ▁at ▁La ▁V enta ▁that ▁are ▁certainly ▁symbol ic ▁and ▁might ▁have ▁rit ual ▁meaning . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁crossed ▁bands ▁symbol , ▁an ▁X ▁in ▁a ▁rect angular ▁box , ▁is ▁often ▁repeated ▁in ▁stone ▁at ▁La ▁V enta , ▁other ▁Ol m ec ▁sites , ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁have ▁significance ▁to ▁the ▁cult ures ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁Ol m ec . ▁It ▁often ▁appears ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁the ▁ma ize ▁de ity ▁and ▁so ▁might ▁have ▁connection ▁with ▁subs istence . ▁ ▁The ▁artifact s ▁discovered ▁at ▁La ▁V enta ▁have ▁been ▁cru cial ▁to ▁starting ▁to ▁understand ▁Ol m ec ▁religion ▁and ▁ide ology . ▁For ▁example , ▁h emat ite ▁and ▁iron - ore ▁mirror ▁fragments ▁have ▁been ▁discovered ▁in ▁abund ance ▁at ▁La ▁V enta . ▁Mir ror s ▁were ▁an ▁incred ibly ▁important ▁part ▁of ▁Ol m ec ▁society , ▁used ▁in ▁both ▁rit uals ▁and ▁daily ▁life . ▁Cel ts , ▁or ▁“ pse udo - ax es ,” ▁are ▁extremely ▁common ▁in ▁both ▁bur ial s ▁and ▁offer ings . ▁It ▁is ▁unclear ▁whether ▁these ▁artifact s ▁were ▁actually ▁used ▁in ▁any ▁practical ▁way ▁or ▁if ▁their ▁meaning ▁is ▁rit ual ▁or ▁symbol ic . ▁Most ▁are ▁smooth , ▁but ▁quite ▁a ▁few ▁are ▁decor