After spending some time in the city of Oaxaca, at a weird carnaval and a long day trip, we had one last must-see on our to-do list: Monte Albán.
Monte Albán is the most important archaeological site of the Valley of Oaxaca. It is located on a flattened mountaintop offering great panoramic views of the surrounding valley. The site was inhabited over a period of 1,500 years!
The capital of the Zapotec flourished for thirteen centuries, when, for still unkown reasons, its eventual abandonment began. The archaeological site is known for its unique dimensions which exhibit the basic chronology and artistic style of the region. The architectual structure reminded us a bit of Teotihuacán near Mexico City. The people who lived in the area, Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs, literally carved Monte Albán out of the mountain.
The Mixtecs were the last culture inhabitating the site. They reused some of the old Zapotec tombs. The most famous one is “Tomba 7”, “Tomb 7”. Mexican archaeologist, Alfonso Caso, discovered the tomb full of stunning artifacts. It is one of the richest archaeological finds. Now you can find the relics in the “Museo de las Culturas” in Oaxaca, like the human skull covered with turquoise and shell mosaic plaques. After visiting the museum we really wanted to see the real “Tomba 7”, but it was not easy to find. The tomb is not part of the main ruins at Monte Albán. It is a bit hidden behind the parking lot, but we eventually found it!
Wandering through the remains of stunning temples, a ball court, tombs and seeing bas-reliefs with hieroglyphic inscriptions was once again an amazing experience and a great conclusion for our time in Oaxaca.
