Monte Alban sits on a flattened mountaintop above the Oaxaca valley and the views alone justify the trip. But the ruins themselves — the grand plaza, the ball court, the observatory, the carved Danzante stones — make it one of the most important archaeological sites in Mexico. The Zapotecs built this place around 500 BC and it dominated the region for over a thousand years.
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The Grand Plaza
The main plaza is enormous — roughly 300 by 200 meters of open space surrounded by stepped platforms and temples. The Zapotecs literally leveled the top of the mountain to create this. Standing at one end looking across the plaza to the pyramids on the other side, with the Oaxaca valley spreading out below, it hits you how ambitious this project was.
Building J, the arrow-shaped structure in the middle of the plaza, is thought to be an astronomical observatory. It points in a direction that does not align with anything else in the site — possibly oriented to specific star positions.
The Danzantes
The carved stone slabs known as the Danzantes (Dancers) are on the west side of the plaza. They were originally thought to be dancers — hence the name — but most archaeologists now believe they depict sacrificed captives. The figures are shown in contorted positions with closed eyes and some with visible wounds. There are over 300 of these carvings.
Tomb 7
The richest tomb ever found in Mesoamerica was discovered here in 1932 by Alfonso Caso. Mixtec nobles had reused an older Zapotec tomb and filled it with gold jewelry, turquoise mosaics, carved bone and crystal cups. The treasures are now in the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca in the Santo Domingo monastery downtown.
Getting There
Monte Alban is about 10km west of Oaxaca city. Buses run from the Riviera del Angel hotel on Mina street every 30 minutes. The ride takes about 20 minutes. Entry fee is around 90 pesos. Go early — by midday the hilltop has zero shade and the heat is punishing. Bring water and a hat.