As one of the earliest settlements in pre-colonial Mesoamerica, Monte Albán is a must-see site. This mountain top location is filled with with ancient pyramids supporting elaborate temples, observatories, palaces and tombs. You can still some some of the carvings that decorated their walls showing you how beautiful this city must have been.
The indigenous Zapotecs established a ceremonial site and city on top of Monte Albán as early as the 500s BCE. Unlike many of the other ethnic groups of the time, the Zapotecs were not nomads, preferring instead to farm their lands and stay in one place. They were so committed to this location that they flattened the top of the mountain (1,940 m/6,400 ft) to have space for their ceremonial centre. Not only did they modify the mountain top, they also built agriculture terraces into its sides. They remained on the top of Monte Albán for hundreds of years.
Finally, by around 800 AD they moved their political centre to Zaachila and built a ceremonial site in Mitla. Neither were more than 50 kilometers away from Monte Albán; in keeping with their non-nomadic ways. We’ll take you to Mitla in the coming days.
Although little is known of this culture in the rest of the world, the Zapotecs were very advanced for their time. They had a glyph system to keep written records, developed a calendar and were experts at cultivating corn. A calendar was inscribed on the side of stela 18, the oldest and tallest obelisk at the site. At 5.8 m tall, it is also believed to have been used as an astronomical instrument.
During this time another tribe, the Mixtec people, were living further south. They were nomadic and gradually moved their way toward Zapotec lands. The two civilizations fought and aligned with each other several times over the centuries. After the Zapotecs abandoned Monte Albán, the Mixtecs moved in and left their mark in a few areas. Eventually though the Spanish arrived and both the Mixtecs and Zapotecs lost power.
Today you can walk on those same pathways and step back in time to this ancient Mesoamerican city on Mont Albán. Its location on a mountain top has led to it being considered one of the most beautiful and majestic pre-colonial cities in Mexico. We don’t necessarily agree that it is the most beautiful, but it does have a nice setting.
The main ceremonial centre in Monte Albán is Grand Plaza. In its centre is a wide stone pyramidal base that supported three separate temples. Even today you can appreciate the grandeur these structures once had. Their large bases would have been decorated in stone carvings and elaborate murals but today we have to leave that to our imaginations.
One of the main differences we noticed in this site is that the pyramids are shorter and wider than we see in other cities, such as those built by the Maya. But then we have to remember that this is one of the oldest cities in Mesoamerica.
Beside these three temples is the Astronomical Observatory. Its unique design draws your attention. Some of the original relief engravings and glyphs can still be seen on its outer walls. The reliefs commemorate successful battles against neighboring cities and some date back as far as 100 BCE. Because it is one of the oldest buildings on the site, some researchers believe that the city was built on the mountain top to be closer to the stars.
Surrounding the Grand Plaza are the pyramid bases of what would have been elaborate palaces, temples and other buildings. Most today are undecorated, the exception is Dancers Building. Both inside and out, you can find thousand year old bas relief carvings on stone tablets.
The building was originally named Dancers Building because it was believed that these were carvings of dancers. Since then, there have been many different theories to explain their meanings. Some believe they represent sacrifices and castration of villagers as well as children with Down’s Syndrome. Others say they are the mutilated bodies of their enemies. The reason for these images is not understood and since many are on loose tablets, another theory is that they were brought to Monte Albán from somewhere else. There are quite a few tablets outside of the palace and a few carved into the walls inside.
At either end of the plaza are two raised courtyards, called North and South Platform. There is not much so see on South Platform, but the north one is a large open space that hosts a group of four temples and a sunken patio. Although none are in very good condition, researchers have said they found influences from Teotihuacan in some of the buildings on the North Platform. The remarkable part is that Teotihuacan is over 470 km away. That’s a long way to travel in the 1st or 2nd centuries.
A Stela dated 800 AD on the platform is engraved with images of the city’s elites. Surprisingly four of the five images depict women. A stela is a vertical stone slab that is usually carved with reliefs.
From the top of the platform the views of Grand Plaza and the entire complex are wonderful. It also provides a great panorama of the surrounding mountains. It was hazy when we were there, but on a clear day the views would be gorgeous.
We can freely wander around the site today, but this ceremonial centre on top of the mountain was only open to the elites. The peasants lived and worked in the village which was built on the mountain slopes. Nothing remains of the village today.
At the base of North Platform is Stela 9. This stone monument is engraved with images of priests and leaders from the governing class.
On the other side is the Ball Game Court. This one no longer has the rings that were that used for scoring in these games otherwise, it is one of the most complete courts we’ve seen.
Outside of the archeological site is Tomb 7. It looks rather insignificant now, but one of the most well known artefacts was found inside. The tomb was originally built by the Zapotecs, but after the Mixtecs moved in they used many of the tombs for their own people. When Tomb 7 was opened, in addition to many jewels, archeologists found the most fantastic turquoise skull left by the Mixtecs. The skull is believed to have been used for ceremonies from 1250 to 1521 AD. It was found in a tomb with the skeleton of a female, but archeologists are still trying to determine who she was. Glue to adhere the turquoise to the skull was made from a mixture of copal tree resin and amaranth seeds. You can see this skull in the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca.
While excavating the site archeologists found many rare artefacts. Today those are on display at the on-site museum as well as at Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca. Here are a few of our favourites from those museums.
Getting to Monte Albán
Located only 9 km from Oaxaca, you can easily visit the archeological site on a day trip. There are many tour agencies in Oaxaca offering tours, but you can also visit it on your own very easily. Either take a shuttle, taxi, or public bus from the city. The shuttle leaves from Hotel Riviera for the same price as the bus and goes directly to the entrance. The bus drops you off at the town below the archeological site.
Where to stay Monte Albán
Since it is so close to Oaxaca it is best to stay in the city and visit as a day trip. Our post on Oaxaca describes where to stay in the city.
To read more of our adventures in Mexico, click here.
Coming Next – Zapotec Mosaics and a Frozen Waterfall in Mitla
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