Monte Albán 
Situated on a mountain 400 m (1,315 ft) above the Oaxaca Valley, Monte Albán ("mohn-teh ahl-bahn") was once the holy city of more than 30,000 Zapotecs. It is the area's most interesting and extensively excavated ruin, yet it is estimated that only about 10% of the site has yet been uncovered.
People have lived in the Oaxaca Valley since about 2000 BC. Between 800 and 500 BC, there was an influx of new peoples, now called the Zapotecs. Around 500 BC, these peoples began the monumental exercise of leveling the top of a mountain, where they would build Monte Albán.
A center of Zapotec culture, Monte Albán was also influenced by other contemporary cultures. Olmec influence is evident in the early sculptures; more recent masks and sculptures reflect contact with the Maya. At its zenith in 300 AD, Monte Albán borrowed architectural ideas from Teotihuacán and dominated the cultural, religious, and economic life of the region.
 Monte Albán map (click to enlarge). © Frommers.com. |
Monte Albán declined in later years and by 800 AD was largely abandoned. Around 13th century it was adopted by the Mixtecs, who added little to the existing architecture but left magnificent gold-laden tombs for their royalty. The most famous of these is Tomb 7, because of its fabulous treasure.
The various structures of Monte Albán center on the Gran Plaza or Great Plaza, a large open space created by flattening the mountaintop. From this plaza, aligned north to south, there is a great view of the Oaxaca Valley.
From the Gran Plaza, there are many buildings to explore – excavations at Monte Albán have revealed over 170 tombs, numerous ceremonial altars, stelae, pyramids, and palaces.
In the center of the Gran Plaza are the creatively-named Buildings G, H, and I. These served as temples and contained several tombs. A tunnel was discovered to lead from the Palace on the east side of the plaza to Building H, possibly so that people could appear here as if by magic.
 The Observatory. |
To the south of these center buildings is the Observatory, which was either used as its name indicates or to celebrate victory in battle. Glyphs carved on the walls may be of the names of conquered tribes. The only building at Monte Albán not aligned with the north-south axis, the Observatory was probably aligned with the stars instead.
On the eastern side of the Great Plaza is an I-shaped ballcourt (Juego de Pelota). This ballcourt differs slightly from Maya and Toltec ballcourts in that there are no goal rings and the sides of the court slope.
The ball game played on this court had ritual significance, and losers were usually put to death as an offering to the gods. The game wasn't easy, either: players had to manipulate the ball using only hips, shoulders, knees and elbows.
Also on the east side of the plaza are several altars and pyramids that were once covered with stucco. The sloping walls, wide stairs, and ramps are all typical of Zapotec architecture and reminiscent of the architecture of Teotihuacán.
On the south side of the plaza is the South Platform, which once had several carved stelae. Most of these are now in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, but at the northeast and northwest corners are staelae showing prisoners of war with their arms and legs bound. A small temple on top of the platform is known as Mound III. You can get a good view of the surrounding area from here.
The west side has more ceremonial platforms and pyramids. One of the pyramid complexes, named System IV, is almost identical to Mound M, which is on the west side near the South Platform. Both are well-preserved and were once topped with one-room wooden temples.
Los Danzantes (Building of the Dancers) is the main highlight of the west side of the plaza. It is the earliest surviving structure at Monte Albán. This building is covered with large stone slabs with carvings of humans in strange, tortured positions (these are copies; the originals are in the site museum).
Because of the fluid movement represented in the figures, they became known as the Danzantes, but this is only a modern label for these ancient and mysterious carvings. The distorted bodies and pained expressions might connote disease or suffering; some have clear features of childbirth, dwarfism, and infantilism. Other experts believe they are prisoners of war.
The North Platform is a large maze of temples and palaces interwoven with underground tunnels and sanctuaries. There are numerous reliefs, glyphs, paintings, and friezes along the lintels, jambs and walls to explore. In this section of the ruins, you are likely to see vendors from the nearby town of Arrazola selling "original" artifacts from the site.
To the north of the Gran Plaza are the cemetery and tombs. The tombs contain magnificent glyphs, paintings, and stone carvings of gods, goddesses, birds, and serpents. The tombs may or may not be open to the public when you arrive, but it's worth checking.
Of the tombs so far excavated, the most famous is Tomb 7, next to the parking lot on the east side. It yielded some 500 pieces of gold, amber, and turquoise jewelry, as well as silver, alabaster, and bone art objects. This amazing collection is on display at the Regional Museum down in Oaxaca. Unfortunately, the tomb itself is rarely open to the public.
Another highlight is Tomb 104, on the west side and just north of the Gran Plaza. It has a fabulous ceramic urn above the entrance, which depicts a figure seated on a jaguar throne. An image of Cocijo, the Zapotec rain god, is in the center of the figure's headdress. When the tomb was opened in 1937, a vaulted burial chamber was discovered. It contained a single skeleton surrounded by urns, perfuming pots and other offerings.
The entrance to the site is at the northeast corner of the Gran Plaza. Here you'll find the site museum, a shop with guidebooks to the ruins, a cafe, and a craft shop. The museum is well worth a visit; the cafe isn't bad and provides a nice view of Oaxaca Valley.
Location Map
Location map and satellite view of Monte Albán. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. You can explore Oaxaca from space on our Oaxaca Map, or all of Mexico on our Mexico Map.
| Location: | Oaxaca State, off Mex. 190, 8 km (5 mi) west of Oaxaca City, Mexico. |
| Phone: | 951/516-1215 for museum gift shop |
| By bus: | Bus from Oaxaca leave from the Hotel Mesón del Angel, Mina 518, at Mier y Terán. Autobuses Turísticos makes seven daily runs, and the round-trip fare is $4. The ride takes a half-hour, and your scheduled return time is 2 hours after arrival. It's possible to take a later return for an additional $1. |
| By car: | From Oaxaca, take Calle Trujano out of town. It becomes the road to Monte Albán, about 10km (6 miles) away. |
| Hours: | Daily 8am to 6pm. |
| Cost: | Admission to the ruins is $4. Licensed guides charge $15 per person for a walking tour. Video camera permits cost $5. |
