Monte Albán: Guide to the Zapotec Capital Above Oaxaca

Monte Albán is one of the oldest cities in Mesoamerica and the capital of the Zapotec civilisation for over a thousand years. It sits on a levelled mountain summit above the Oaxaca Valley — the decision to build a capital here, without water or agricultural land, appears to have been primarily political: a neutral high ground commanding the valley below.

History

Monte Albán was founded around 500 BCE when several competing valleys in the Oaxacan region were consolidated under a single political entity. The mountain was levelled and construction began.

The site went through four major periods:

• Monte Albán I (500–100 BCE): foundation phase. The earliest structures include a building (Building J) aligned to astronomical events. The “danzante” reliefs (carved stone slabs showing figures in contorted positions, once interpreted as dancers, now understood as war captives) date from this period.
• Monte Albán II (100 BCE – 200 CE): expansion. The main plaza reaches approximately its final form.
• Monte Albán III (200–700 CE): peak period. Population estimated at 25,000–35,000. Hundreds of elite tombs are cut into the hillside below the main plaza.
• Monte Albán IV (700–950 CE): decline. The main city is abandoned; the site continues as a burial ground for the later Mixtec culture (Tomb 7 is Mixtec, not Zapotec).

The site was never settled by the Spanish (they founded Oaxaca City in the valley below) and was not excavated until the 1930s–1950s under Alfonso Caso.

The main plaza

The plaza is a large, relatively flat area (roughly 300 × 200 metres) created by levelling the mountain summit. The main structures are:

The Great Platform (North): a raised platform reached by a broad staircase. The view from the top looks back down the Avenue of the Dead-like axis of the site.

Building J (Observatory): an arrow-shaped structure oriented unusually — not aligned to the cardinal points. Its internal passages are aligned with specific star risings and the zenith passage of the sun. It’s one of the clearest pre-Columbian astronomical structures in Mexico.

The Ball Court: a standard I-shaped Mesoamerican ball court. Smaller than the one at Chichén Itzá but in good condition.

The Danzantes: an exterior wall of a platform covered with carved stone slabs showing human figures in contorted positions. Some have hieroglyphs that are partially deciphered. They are now understood as records of military conquests.

Tomb 7

Not visible from the main plaza — below the north platform. This Mixtec burial from the Postclassic period (after Monte Albán’s Zapotec occupation ended) contained one of the richest tomb assemblages in the Americas: gold, jade, obsidian, and turquoise objects of extraordinary craftsmanship. The objects are now in the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca in the city (the site museum at Monte Albán has replicas).

Visiting

Getting there: colectivos leave from Calle Minas near the second-class bus station in Oaxaca City throughout the day — journey 20 minutes, inexpensive. Taxis also available.

Opening hours: 8 am–5 pm daily.

Time needed: 2–3 hours covers the main plaza thoroughly. The outlying groups require additional time.

Combined visit: Monte Albán in the morning + city museums in the afternoon is a logical combination. The museum in the city (Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo) provides better context for the artefacts than the site museum.