Our tour today was optional so not all of our caravan went exploring but the 15 of us who did saw a great archeological site.
Monte Albin is a Zapotec ruin about 9 KM from Oaxaca. Around 700 BC the Zapotc peoples (a division of Mayan peoples) began moving into this valley which is surrounded by mountains. Circa 300 BC they began leveling the top of Monte Albin (named after the person who discovered it) then after 200 years of moving rocks, they started building the temple sites on top of the flattened mountain. The Zapotec priests and kings were the only inhabitants on top of the mountain while the farmers and workers lived in the valley. The height of this civilization was between 500 - 900 AD. This is the oldest site from the Maya empire.
The plaza is 300 by 200 meters. The buildings seem to be aligned exactly north and south and east and west but on closer inspection the scientist found that the alignment is off by 14 degrees which makes the buildings aligned to the magnetic north. No explanation has been found for this phenomenon. We found the ball court familiar to all Mayans, a cistern for collecting water, and a palace or sorts. None of the buildings have the pointed top of a pyramid because the buildings build on top of the constructions were made of wood, bamboo, and thatch roofs. Tombs have been excavated but their treasures are now in museums.
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