If you've ever wondered what people did for fun 1,500 years ago, exploring the ruins of Monte Albán might give you a bit of insight. Among the vestiges of the ancient Zapotec capital is a long, narrow tlachtli stadium for playing ollama, a Mesoamerican sport in which teams worked to pass a rubber ball through a high hoop at the end of a court.
The game resembled basketball save for one catch: players couldn't use their hands.
Ollama wasn't just about competition. It had symbolic significance as well. The ball represented the sun, its passage through the hoop the sunrise, sunset or equinoxes and the game was probably much more enjoyable for the spectators than for the players, as the losing team was likely beheaded in ritual sacrifice to the gods.
Gran Plaza and Pyramids
Founded in 500 BCE, Monte Albán rests on a manually leveled mountaintop about 6 miles outside Oaxaca City. Several distinct flattened pyramids flank the city's central plaza. Visitors can climb the steps and enjoy sweeping views of the site, the mountains that surround it, as well as Oaxaca itself.
The Palace
The palace is not actually a palace. It's a series of three buildings of unknown purpose located at the center of the plaza. Archeologists discovered underground tunnels beneath the buildings and believe priests may have jumped up out of them to impress unwitting passers by. Early explorers thought the structures comprised a palace because of their elaborate construction and central courtyard.
Los Danzantes
Among the most intriguing things on display at Monte Albán are the more than 300 stone carvings of "dancers." While their exact meaning has yet to be revealed, the most popular theory suggests the figures represent slain captives. If you look closely, you'll notice that some of the figures appear limp or mutilated.
Tombs
Around 800 CE, the Zapotec people mysteriously abandoned their capital. Four hundred years later The Mixtecs adopted the space as their own, using it primarily as a burial ground. Archeologists have found many tombs at Monte Albán, including one that contained 500 pieces of gold, amber and turquoise. If you're lucky, you'll get to walk through one of the beautiful carved tomb entrances while you're there. (They're not always open to the public).
You can visit Monte Alban Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM, 6 PM in the summertime. We'd love to make this fascinating archeological site part of your Cultural Convergence tour.
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