Monte Alban is located in the mountains in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. The elevation is about 1,940 metres. It was founded about 500 BCE. Like other archaeological sites in Mexico, the city was abandoned sometime after the year 750. This was long before the Spanish conquest, so it cannot be blamed on them. There are several theories for the abandonment of these cities. The most likely reason was overpopulation and lack of food. So, the people left and lived in small towns instead of large cities.
Who are the Zapotecs
Before the Spanish conquest of Central and South America in the 1500s, several groups of indigenous people lived there. The Aztecs lived in the area around Mexico City. The Mayans lived south of Mexico City, down to Belize and Guatemala. The Zapotecs live in southwest Mexico in the present-day states of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Further south, in South America, the Incas were the local people. These indigenous people built amazing cities with huge pyramids that rival those in Egypt. Tikal, in Guatemala, has seven pyramids. I will put a link at the bottom to all these cities.
Monte Alban Today
Several explorers visited Monte Alban between the years of 1850 and 1900. Archaeological exploration by the Mexican government started in 1902. The city was overgrown with plants, and the structures looked like hills instead of human-made objects. Today, most of the vegetation has been cleared away.
The above photo shows a small pyramid that has yet to be uncovered. Leaving some structures uncovered and unexplored is done at many archaeological sites in Mexico. This is done so that future generations can explore them.
The Main Plaza
The Main Plaza is surrounded by small pyramids on all sides and has other structures in the centre. These pyramids had temples on top. The city is divided into the North Platform and the South Platform. The Main Plaza occupies all of the South Platform. The photo was taken from the large pyramid in the North Platform.
The Main Plaza could hold the city’s population of about 17,000 for important events.
Ballcourt
Every pre-Hispanic city in Central America had a ball court. The game was played in a small, rectangular area with sloping walls on either side. The object was to get the ball through a circle halfway up on either side, one for each team. The hoops in Monte Alban’s ballcourt are missing. You can see them in better-preserved ballcourts in some of the photos I took in other Mayan cities. See the link below.
The North Platform
The North Plaza is much smaller than the South Plaza. The city is divided not only by north and south but also by height, with the North Plaza being much higher than the South Plaza. There is a grand staircase on the wall dividing the city.
There are not many structures in the North Plaza, but there are two pyramids. The best view of the city is from the top of one of these pyramids. The photo of the main plaza above was taken from there.
The Dividing Wall
The North Platform and the South Platform are divided by a giant wall, with the North Platform on the upper level. In the centre of the wall is a monumental stairway. You cannot climb the stairs, but a small staircase is at the west end.
Stelae
Stelae were the pre-Hispanic equivalent of modern billboards. But they did not depict advertising. The Stelae showed a record of the city and its achievements. They often proclaim victories in battle. In the photo above, you can see one at the centre of the grand staircase. However, the better ones are now in the museum. (Stelae is plural. A singular one is called a stela). There are better examples of stelae at some other archaeological sites in Mexico. See the link below.
The Dancers
In the North Plaza are several large stones with drawings on them. They were initially thought to be people dancing. However, further research proved this to be false. What they show are prisoners of war who were tortured and killed. The stones are hidden away in the northwest corner of the Plaza and could be easily overlooked.
The Museum
At the entrance to the site is a small but fascinating museum. In addition to stelae, there are many artefacts that were found on the site and some skills of people that have obviously been murdered. They were probably prisoners captured in battle with other civilisations.
How to get there
Monte Alban is located very close to the city of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Ask at your hotel where to get the bus that goes there.
Other Archeological Sites in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala
The link below will take you to a page on this website that links to all the Aztec and Mayan archaeological sites I have visited. Check it out.
https://mythatchedhut.com/ruta-maya/
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