San Jose el Mogote, Ruin Site:       Possibly the
oldest stone city with public buildings in
Mesoamerica, the first written language, first use
of ceramics, first use of adobe bricks as a building
material.
Location:  San Jose El Mogote is at 17* 20' N, 96*
59'  W in the  Etla Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico, South
Central Mexico  8 miles northwest of Oaxaca City
Culture: Zapotec
Area:  50-150 Acres
Date:  1500 BC to 500 BC
Construction:  Quarried stone, first use of adobe
brick (Mud Brick)
Population:  2000 at height in 500 BC
 
Museum: San Jose El Mogote has a small
museum with great collection of Olmec influenced
stone and ceramic artifacts
Fee No fee for site/ small for museum. See the
caretaker in town to open the museum
Hours 9-2 4-6
Unusual Features: The Ruin site of San Jose
Mogote is a small site and rarely visited but could
be of immense importance in the chronology of
ancient Mesoamerican cultures. Strong ties with
the Olmec culture of Veracruz is evident in the
artifacts at the small museum near the site. San
Jose El Mogote includes several hills but is
excavated in a small section of mounds and
pyramidal platforms near the modern village.
San Jose  El  Mogote
Museum and Ruin Site, Oaxaca, Mexico
Copyright     SoftSeatTravel
The Museum caretaker in the village will
open the museum for your visit.  
San Jose El Mogote Museum and Ruin Site, the
oldest stone city in Mexico. The Museum houses
artifacts from the city Built in the valley now called
Oaxaca. San Jose El Mogote was first settled in 1500
BC and replaced as a political center in 500 BC in
favor of the larger city nearby now called  Monte
Alban.
Dave Hilbert
SoftSeatTravel.com
San Jose el Mogote or San Jose Mogote as it is alternately called has a great little museum with interesting artifacts
To visit San Jose Mogote's Museum go to the center of the village and ask for the caretaker. San Jose
Mogote ruin site receives few visitors in spite of its importance and like many small regional museums in
Oaxaca,  the town officials do not keep it open
You are sure to have San Jose Mogote ruin site with its great views of the Etla Valley to yourself except for
foraging goats
San Jose  El  Mogote
Museum and Ruin Site, Oaxaca,
Mexico