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Monte Albán was the epicenter of their culture and a place of divine worship. It was inhabited by goldsmiths, silversmiths, priests and astronomers, by farmers, royalty and wisemen. The Zapotecs had both a written and numerical system and used a calendar of 365 days. ‘Classic Zapotec’ traits and traditions continued until the time of the Spanish conquest - some 800 years after Monte Albán was abandoned.

"Atop the mountain plateau of Monte Albán, you get the strange feeling of somehow being in the clouds, with a new perception of space, light and time. The Zapotecs aligned their architecture with the cosmos to create a meeting point between heaven and earth."

The main square of Monte Albán, called the Gran Plaza, with its civic and ceremonial buildings was the heart of the city and the site of its huge marketplace. The architectural remains show considerable complexity of design. The Zapotec peasants built their houses on the hillsides with a population of 30,000 in an area hardly 6 square kilometers. An irrigation system supplied water to bottom lands east of the site and permitted intensive cultivation of the area. Though its location would suggest that it was a military fortress, there are no traces of warrior arms or fortified structures. While most village centers emerge out of the activities of their residents, Monte Albán distinguishes itself by having been designed by architects who, starting from this forest wilderness, first leveled the mountaintop and began building this city in the clouds.

There is still so much we don’t know about daily life in Monte Albán. We know that sacrifices were performed, dances and ball games took place, conquests were registered and astronomical observations recorded.We know that prominent deceased persons were buried with their vast worldly treasures. These buried worldly treasures comprise the largest Mesoamerican discovery. It was found here in 1934 by Alfonso Caso and consists of 500 pieces of gold and jade: bracelets, necklaces, nose and earrings. These pieces can be seen in Oaxaca’s Regional Museum next to the Santo Domingo church.

Perhaps the Zapotecs climbed the heights to be closer to the gods. Fifteen deities from Monte Albán iconography can now be identified - associated predominantly with fertility and agriculture. More than any other icon found is the one of the god Cocijo, god of lightening and rain.

Also depicted in urns and carvings are acrobats, ball players, jugglers, priests, merchants, musicians, warriors and soothsayers. Zapotec stone sculpture can also be found in other sites in the valley of Oaxaca, such as Zaachila, Cuilapan, Yagul and Lambityeco. Perhaps Monte Albán was chosen purely for its extraordinary beauty. Its character resembles the hill towns of Italy and being there gives one the impression of being up in the clouds. The architecture lines up with celestial bodies creating a meeting place between heaven and earth. One can imagine the feeling of power the ancient Zapotecs felt overlooking the vast and breathtaking valley setting of uninhabited forest wilderness. Today one sees the towns and villages of ‘modern’ Oaxaca - still a breathtaking setting.

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