Rising to prominence after the decline of the Olmec civilization's culture, some researchers consider Cerro de las Mesas, along with similar sites like La Mojarra and Tres Zapotes, to be a center of epi-Olmec culture, a successor culture to the Olmecs, and one that itself gave way to Classic Veracruz culture in the 3rd century CE.
Cerro de las Mesas, La Mojarra, and Tres Zapotes are considered by some researchers to be centers of epi-Olmec culture, a successor culture to the Olmecs, which eventually gave way to Classic Veracruz culture in the 3rd century CE.