Pictures of Monte Alban

Monte Alban

The archeological site of Monte Alban was discovered by the Mexican archeologist Alfons Caso in 1932, and the find was comparable to Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankamun tomb in Egypt.  It is located in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.  The site is approximately 10 km away from Oaxaca City, and about 1948 meters above sea level on the top of a mountain.  Monte Alban itself is 40 square kilometers, but the most impressive ruins are the nine main buildings located in the center of the great plaza.

Monte Alban, the ancient capital of the Zapotecs, was believed to be built by the Zapotecs as early as 500 B.C., and was one of the first cities in Mesoamerica.  At its height, Monte Alban had approximately 40,000 people living on the site. During this time Monte Alban exercised political, economic, and ideological control over the other communities and surrounding mountains.  The downfall of Monte Alban occurred about 750 A.D..  Monte Alban was believed to be inhabited by the Mixtec, Olmec, and Aztec cultures as well as the Zapotecs.

The Great plaza of Monte Alban includes nine main buildings, many of which are currently being reconstructed due to earthquake damage.  The Ball court is right at the left entrance of the great plaza.  This area has a capital L shape and sloping sidewalls that are distinctive to the region.  Sport like contests were often played here, some archeologists believe that these contests were not sacrificial like many contests that occurred in the Yucatan region of Mexico, but other scientists and psychics disagree and believe that there were bloody sacrificial contests played in the ball court.  Building P, which is currently not open to the public from the inside, has a tunnel that runs from the inner stairway to the central alter.  In the Palace, where upper class Zapotecs lived, there are also tunnels underneath the building.  The Building of the dancers is one of the oldest buildings at Monte Alban and is covered with carvings of Human figures.  The current theory of the carvings is that they represent enemies of the Zapotecs being tortured or mutilated, there are also very nontraditional beliefs about the carvings leaning towards the area of the paranormal.  Mound IV contains a tunnel constructed by archeologists that lets you view a large alter of large stones. Some of the stones are stones that had been recycled from the building of the dancers and have the human figures on them.  Tomb 104 contains some of the sights best carvings and murals. Finally, building J is one of the most interesting sights at Monte Alban, it is in the shape of an arrow point, and some believe that that the inside chamber was used for astronomical observations.

At the site of Monte Alban there is an incredible view of Oaxaca City and the mountains that surround the valley.  There is also a small museum with several of the stones carved with human figures, and other artifacts found at the sight.

-Heather

The Stones of Mound IV

View of Oaxaca City