Archaeology

MONTE ALBAN

Built more than 2,500 years ago on a group of hills located in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, the city of Monte Alban was one of the oldest in America and the most importante political, social, economic and religious center in the southern part of pre-Hispanic Mexico.

Monte Alban was the capital of the Zapotec empire for more than 1,200 year. During his period, it was the hub of mighty empire that dominated and subjugated several tribes of the valley of Oaxaca and nearby regions through military conquest and the payment of tributes.

Tomb 7

Tomb 7 at Monte Alban is one of the most important and impressive archaeological finds in Mexico – so impressive that many national and international researches doubted the authenticity of its discovery.

MITLA

The Mixtec-Zapotelc city of Mitla is central in the study of Mesoamerican cultures because of evidence that points to settlements that date from 10,000 B.C. It was the last monumental pre-Hispanic center that was built in what we now know as the region of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca.

When the Mixtecs came to the valley region, the Zapotecs who were already there probably made contact with them. The Mixtecs seem to have introduced innovations to Zapotec architecture. Mitla is the most important example of the resulting Zapotec-Mixtec architecture.

The archaeological site is divided into five architectural groups: the North, the Columns, the Stream, the South and the Adobe group.

YAGUL

The name of this important pre-Hispanic center is Ya-gule in the Zapotec dialect, which means “tree” or “dry stick”. Among its monuments, it boasts the largest ball playground of the Oaxaca region and the second one in Mesoamerica. There is strong evidence of human occupation since approximately 3000 B.C in the surrounding of Yagul. The most recent record is the site called Caballito Blanco, located on one of the adjacent mounts near the present highway. In the shelter of this mount there are vestiges of cave paintings; probably related to the groups of nomads who were the first inhabitants of the Oaxaca Valley.