OAXACA TRAVELS

I TRAVELED TO OAXACA BY BUS WITH SOME GIRLFRIENDS WHO ENJOYED TRAVELING ON OUR CREW. IT IS A HUGE MARKETPLACE BUILT BY THE ZAPOTECS. MONTE ALBAN WAS BUILT ON THE TOP OF A 1300' MOUNTAIN. IT WAS FLATTENED BY HAND USING MAN POWER TO REMOVE THE DIRT. IT WAS THE MOST MONUMENTAL CEREMONIAL CENTER DATING FROM 1900 - 500 BC. IT WAS DEVELOPED IN 1500 BC AS A SMALL FARMING VILLAGE. . THE BURIAL SITE HAD OLMEC STYLE CERAMICS, ONE OF MEXICO'S FIRST REAL CITIES. BY 550 BC THERE WERE 25000 PEOPLE, MANY PEACEFULLY LEFT THE CITY... BY 350 AD THE POPULATION DROPPED TO 10,000. IT WAS A STATE SPONSORED SYSTEM OF CRAFT MANUFACTURING AND MARKETING.

THEY ALSO HAD AN OBSERVATORY. PEOPLE LIVED ON SEVERAL TERRACED SLOPES IN COMPOUNDS WITH KITCHENS AND SMALL RESERVOIRS. MANY BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY RECONSTRUCTED. THEY HAD A BALLCOURT ACCESSED BY ELITE RESIDENCES. THE PLAZA WAS A SACRED AREA, AND SEALED OFF DURING MANY DAYS. THE BUILDINGS HAD BEEN STUCCOED AND BEAUTIFULLY PAINTED. AFTER 700 AD THE PLAZA WAS ABANBDONED, EXCEPT FOR ELITE CEREMONIES. THEY BURIED ROYAL PEOPLE IN TOMBS. THEY HAD MANY STONE SCULPTURES DECORATING THE BUILDINGS. I REMEMBER TAKING PHOTOS OF THESE AS I VIEWED THE SITE.