Monte Alban Tour, Mezcal Factory, Alebrijes, Pottery Workshop

1 – Monte Albán Oaxaca, A Site Of Great Cultural Wealth

Monte Albán is an archaeological site located 10 km from the city of Oaxaca. It was named by the Zapotecs as “Dani Baá” or Sacred Mountain and, later, “Yucucui” or Cerro Verde, by the Mixtec indigenous people who inhabited it around the 12th century.

Archaeological site located 10 km from the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. It was the most important indigenous capital of the valleys region of Oaxaca during the so-called classic period (400–800 AD) when it was inhabited by the Zapotec culture.

As happened with several pre-Hispanic metropolises, Monte Albán was inhabited by more than one culture. The origin of the first inhabitants is a matter of debate, since archaeologists have not been able to specify it.

Later, the city was inhabited by the Zapotecs and, finally, by the Mixtecs. Furthermore, studying the architecture, specialists found that Monte Albán had contact with other cultures, mainly with the inhabitants of the powerful Teotihuacán, in central Mexico.
At Monte Albán, visitors can find three main structures, all with primarily ceremonial functions: the South Platform, the Large Ball Court, and the Danzantes building (or Building L).

The South Platform is a two-section construction and the tallest in the city; From there, you can see the rest of the site. The Big Ball Court is so called because next to Tomb 105 there is a similar but smaller structure.

And, finally, the Plaza de los Danzantes is a sui generis construction in which various stelae with calendrical and anthropomorphic glyphs stand out.

Monte Albán is a large archaeological site and constitutes the largest and most important ceremonial center of the Zapotec culture. It is located on a hill whose top was flattened by the first culture that inhabited it. Most of the existing temples and buildings belong to the time when the Zapotecs inhabited it.