About Monte Alban in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico

Monte Alban is a large archaeological site located in Oaxaca. The site is located on low mountain ranges rising above the plain in the central section of the Valley of Oaxaca.  Monte Alban was once the capital city of Zapotec civilization. At that time it was called Dani Baa which meant “sacred mountain” in the Zapotec language. In 1987 Monte Alban was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  

Monte Alban history

Construction began on Monte Alban around 500 BC, which makes this the earliest of Mesoamerica’s great urban centers of the Classic Period. It was at it’s peak between 200 and 600 AD. It began to decline in the year 800 AD. At it’s peak there was a population of 40,000 people.  

After the Zapotecs abandoned the site it was used by Mixtec’s who recognized the site as a sacred place. They even re-used one of the Zapotec tombs and buried one of their rulers there with his treasure. This is knows as the Treasure of Tomb 7.  

Monte Alban tourism

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Monte Alban is located approximately two and a half miles from the city center of Oaxaca. There are tourist buses that depart several times throughout the  day in from the the Hotel Riviera de los Angeles on Mina street. The cost of the tourist bus is approximately 40 pesos round trip and the departure time is two hours after you arrive.  

There are some things that you will not want to miss when you visit Monte Alban. The first is the ball court. This is an I shaped court that is sunken into the surrounding hillside. You also want to be sure to see Building J which is the Astronomical Observatory. The unusual shape and orientation of the building point to the fact that it was used as an observatory. Be sure to see Los Danzantes; this is a series of carved stones depicting people in various positions. The North Platform has the best view of the entire site and sits on top of Building E. There is a small site museum which contains a sampling of staele, funerary urns and skeletal remains.  Some of the more impressive items are at the Santo Domingo museum in Oaxaca city. This includes the Treasure of Tomb 7.
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