Monte Alban, Oaxaca

Monte Alban is located above a set of natural hills in the centre of the Valley of Oaxaca. This archaeological site is located 8 km W of the city of Oaxaca. In its heyday the city was composed of a main square, heart of the ceremonial centre and a number of architectural monuments and surrounding Atzompa, Cerro Del Gallo, plumage, Monte Alban and El Chico Mogollito.
Areas monumental palaces and temples, for religious ceremonies, are located at the top of the hills, while the terraces and the valley represent areas of domestic occupation and production of the peasant community and craft. At its height the city grew to 35,000 inhabitants and covered about 20 km2. The centre came to measuring 6.5 km2. The Zapotec capital is at the top of Cerro Del Jaguar, artificially flattened to build the Great Plaza. In the valleys there were village communities of farmers from 1.500 a. C., who were the founders of the city, and spoke an old version of Zapotec.
The city flourished between the years 500 B.C. to 800 AD, and was one of the first to settle in Mesoamerica. It became the largest pre-Columbian city of its time, and the main centre of political and economic power in the region. It was the first planned city in the Americas. The buildings were erected in the area on a NS axis. It was characterized as a system for developing a real state government led by the priestly class, basing much of its economy in the tribute given by Valley communities, which were submitted under religious domination.
The tribute was complementary to agricultural production of maize, beans, squash and other seasonal products, made by the system of farming terraces built on the slopes of the hills that surround it. He had a constant human occupation for more than thirteen centuries when, for reasons not yet established, it began its gradual abandonment.
Among the causes of this neglect has been suggested the imperfection in the system of charges and lack of basic resources, this resulted in prolonged drought no longer allowed abundant food production. As a result of forced migration, new sites were established and re-occupied the past others in the Valley of Oaxaca.
The characteristics of the monumental architecture of Monte Alban is listed as one of the most elaborate among the ancient cultures of Mexico, the product of formal constructive and aesthetic experience of centuries of development.
It is distinguished by its short slopes and wide ramps that manage large buildings, probably to stabilize the buildings due to seismic character of the region.
There are more than 300 burials and over 200 tombs located so far, especially on hillsides, which reflect the belief of life after death.
After the abandonment of the city, its ruins were always sacred to who built the Zapotec and Mixtec, who arrived for the Valley in late period, and identified in this city where the remains were to rest their main characters.
Therefore, reused tombs of Monte Alban and brought the worship of another god like story of the ritual, God of the jewellers, the man who wore the flayed skin, associated with the rebirth of life and spring.