Monte Alban

It takes about fifteen minutes by bus along a steep, switchback-heavy road to reach Monte Alban, the former Zapotec stronghold.



Monte Alban (casually named after the farmer who owned the land where it was found) was one of Mesoamerica's earliest cities, and was inhabited for almost 1,000 years, beginning around 500 B.C., peaking around year zero, and finally was abandoned around 750 A.D.



Situated on top of a hill, the temples offer views of the three valleys that comprise Oaxaca.

Below, Young poses in front of a ball court. The game was believed to be similar to the old Mayan favorite of "whack rubber ball through hole, lest you be sacrificed." High stakes make it exciting!



But life in Monte Alban was not all laughs and blood-sport, as evidenced by the stone murals, dubbed "The Danzantes" which feature the frowning faces of castrated and soon-to-be sacrificed prisoners.



The site is fascinating to visit, has a great museum featuring some skulls that were seemingly deformed via metal bands into unusual, elongated shapes, and other skulls which have teeth that are sharpened, capped, and otherwise altered. I was amazed to see that the zapotecs practiced early forms of brain surgery. before 750 A.D.!

A few more shots. They do not capture how massive and breathtaking the site is, and even when there, it tests the imagination to picture it as it must have been. Oh, for a time machine (and an invisibility cloak. Safety First.)