Monte Alban and the Zocalo!

There is so much history and culture in this area that I am just blown away! I had the opportunity to visit the local ruins, Monte Alban, which is just outside of the Oaxacan city limits. Just some of the interesting facts that I learned:

1. Monte Alban was chosen by the indigenous due to its location, being one of the highest points in the valley surrounded by mountains. This is so that they can see any possible attacks coming from any direction!
2. When the Spanish conquered Mexico, Monte Alban was one of the few ruins untouched by the conquistadores. Why? Because it was much too difficult for them to make the trek up and down the mountain to take down and transport all of the rocks. 
3. Many of the indigenous ruins in Mexico have been altered because of human contact (by climbing up and down the ruins), and because of that, many do not allow people to climb to the tops of the ruins. However, in Monte Alban, we were allowed to climb to the top and see so many of the amazing views! 

"Monte Alban is the most important archaeological site of the Valley of Oaxaca. Inhabited over a period of 1,500 years by a succession of peoples – Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs – the terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds of Monte Albán were literally carved out of the mountain and are the symbols of a sacred topography," (Centre, n.d.). I strongly encourage you to read more about this amazing World Heritage Site by visiting the link I posted in the Work Cited below.

Check out this video of Monte Alban!

Here is another video about the ruins that I created while there!

In many textbooks, they discuss how when the Spanish conquistadores arrived, they viewed the indigenous as very primitive, low-level thinking individuals. However, that was far from the case! There is evidence of the indigenous did brain surgeries and there is also evidence with their construction! One of the ruins, from an aerial perspective, looks like an arrowhead. Can you imagine how much planning went into that? 

Below is a picture regarding architecture. As you can see, there are two different ways that there are laying the brick/rock. The lower level is laid flat like in modern masonry. As you go higher, it is laid  with the pointed rocks which allows for strength in swaying! Why do the buildings need to be able to sway? Because this area has earthquakes. 

After this amazing expedition, we were able to go to the Zocalo. "Traffic-free, shaded by tall trees and surrounded by elegant portales (arcades), the Zócalo is the perfect place to start soaking up the Oaxaca atmosphere. It bustles with life by day and night, as marimba ensembles, brass bands and roving buskers float their melodies among the crowds, hawkers try to offload pretty carpets and hideous balloons, and lovers parade in slow rounds under the trees, while anyone and everyone sits, drinks and watches from the sidewalk cafes," (Zócalo | Oaxaca City, Mexico | Attractions, n.d.)

Work Cited:

Centre, U. W. H. (n.d.). Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/415/

Zócalo | Oaxaca City, Mexico | Attractions. (n.d.). Lonely Planet. Retrieved November 1, 2023, from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/oaxaca-state/oaxaca/attractions/zocalo/a/poi-sig/1379800/361604

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