10 Curious facts about Monte Albán

Come inside Monte Albán and get to know the biggest pre-Hispanic city in Oaxaca. Ruins that date back to 500 b.C, plus breathtaking views of the state, isn’t it majestic?

1. The pre-Hispanic groups that lived here were the Zapotecs and later the Mixtecs.

2. It was the biggest and most important pre-Hispanic city in Oaxaca for 13 centuries, and the second most important after Teotihuacán.

3. Zapotecs chose this place so they could have a 360 view of the region and watch over any possible invasions. Hence the beautiful views!

4. By the time the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Oaxaca, Monte Albán was covered by big piles of dirt and greenery (a technique used by pre-Hispanic groups when an empire was abandoned. The next group would build on top of it), so they never saw it. That’s why it’s in great conditions.

5. There are still many excavations pending in Monte Albán, like most of the housing complexes downhill that surrounded the palaces and pyramids.

6. It’s actually the first planned city in the Continent and it dates back to 500 b.C.

7. It was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

8. Archaeologist have found heavy influence of Teotihuacán in Monte Albán’s architecture, ceramic and painting, meaning they were in constant communication.

9. Recent interpretations have shown that these carved stones, which were once called ‘dancers’, could have been leaders from other towns who were captured and offered as sacrifice. There’s a patio and a building full of these figures!

10. Tomb 7*: what looks like just another tomb in Monte Albán, actually represents one of the most spectacular events in Mexican archaeology. It contained 400 pieces of gold, silver, copper, turquoise, coral, pearls, amber, obsidian, shell and ceramic, which are now displayed in Mexico City’s National Anthropology Museum and in the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, like these pieces above.

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Useful information

• Entrance fee is $70 mxn per person. There are machines at the entrance where you can pay and print you ticket. They accept credit cards.
• Parking lot is free.
• There’s information in English in each complex, so you don’t really need a guide.
• The in site museum, near the entrance, has many pieces found around the premises. Do visit it.

*Tomb 7 is actually outside the main compound. It’s near the parking lot.