The La Danta temple is 72 meters (236 feet) tall from the forest floor and is one of the world's tallest pyramids, with a total volume of 2,800,000 cubic meters. It contains many sacred items that are kept in a sanctuary at the top of the pyramid. The base of the pyramid is 70 meters by 70 meters (230 feet by 230 feet). It consists of two levels of large stone blocks without any mortar between them. The upper level has eight enormous statues of deities carved out of single blocks of rock; each statue is over 6 meters (20 feet) high. On top of these statues is a third level with more than 300 smaller stones called acates. These are the little pieces of rock that make up most of the surface area of the pyramid. There are several theories about why ancient people built the pyramid. Some believe it was used as a look-out tower for enemy attacks, while others think it was constructed as a religious monument. No one knows for sure how the priests of La Danta lived or what they did there, but we do know they took great care in choosing the right site for the pyramid. The area around it was probably decorated with large rocks to make an impression on anyone who might have been watching. People have been building pyramids for thousands of years.