Monte Alban

Yesterday we went to Monte Alban, the archeological ruins of a large Zapotec city. Monte Alban is just a few miles from Oaxaca, up on a mountain top, which the Zapotec leveled to build their religious and economic center.

We first toured the small museum at the site, which holds artifacts and stone carvings found throughout Monte Alban. Many of the artifacts were found in tombs. Other artifacts found here are housed in Mexico City’s Museo Nacional de Antropogolia, which we visited, and in Oaxaca’s Museo Regional, which we plan to tour next week.

Monte Alban is one of the earliest cities in Mesoamerica and was the center of Zapotec power for approximately 1200 years. The earliest buildings date from 500 BC. The city reached the height of its power in AD 300 to AD 800, with a population of as many as 40,000. In addition to the hilltop were the ruins are situated, the Zapotec lived in the valleys below where they farmed the land.

Above is the ball court.

These are the Danzantes (Dancers), so known for their poses. Theories as to who the dancers are have varied through the years. These days they are considered to be prisoners captured by Monte Alban's army. The prisoners are believed to be nobility due to their headresses and jewelry. The Danzantes are some of the oldest carvings at Monte Alban.

The main plaza is situated exactly along a north-south axis, however the building above is the only one on the site at a southwest angle. It is also unique in that it is the only building with a point. It is thought to be an astronomical observatory.

Unfortunately, we weren’t prepared for the weather. It’s been quite warm here and we’d read that Monte Alban offers little protection from the sun. We all had on shorts and the girls and I were wearing tank tops. Wouldn’t you know, it was cloudy and 20 degrees cooler than it has been. The wind whipped through the site and we were quite cool. When we felt a few rain drops, we wrapped up our visit to this fascinating place.