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The Central Valleys of Oaxaca, the cradle of Zapotec civilization, are three broad valleys—Etla in the west, Ocotlán in the south and Mitla in the east—that join at an altitude of about 4500 feet above sea level in the center of what today is the state of Oaxaca. They are located about 200 km south of Mexico City.
Map showing the location of the Zapotec Civilization, developed in the Pre-Columbian Era in Mesoamerica. The Zapotecan language group is composed of over 60 variants of Zapotecan, as well as the closely related Chatino language .
The Zapotecs and Mixtecs both allied themselves and fought among themselves as they tried to maintain their lands and valuable trade routes between the high central plains of Mexico and Central America. [2] [4] The first Aztecs arrived to the Oaxaca area in 1250, but true expansion into the region began in the 15th century.
Mitla is the second-most important archeological site in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, and the most important of the Zapotec culture. [1] [2] The site is located 44 km from the city of Oaxaca, [3] in the upper end of the Tlacolula Valley, one of the three cold, high valleys that form the Central Valleys Region of the state. [4]
Map of Pre-Columbian states of Mexico just before the Spanish conquest. The pre-Columbian (or prehispanic) history of the territory now making up the country of Mexico is known through the work of archaeologists and epigraphers, and through the accounts of Spanish conquistadores, settlers and clergymen as well as the indigenous chroniclers of the immediate post-conquest period.
The Zapotecs were the earliest to gain dominance over the Central Valleys region. [7] The first major dominion was centered in Monte Albán, which flourished from 500 BCE until 750 CE. [8] At its height, Monte Albán was home to some 25,000 people and was the capital city of the Zapotec nation. [7]
Iron ores were a local product of the Valley of Oaxaca. Because San José Mogote was the central area of trade in this region, it utilized its rich resource of iron ore to manufacture polished stone mirrors, many of which have been found as far as the Olmec Gulf Coast Heartland.
Maya stele in Copán.. The Mesoamerican Classic Period can be established from around 200 to 900 A. D. However, the chronology varies in each cultural area. The precursors to this period are found in the late Preclassic Period, at around 400 B. C, when an increase in efficiency of agriculture technology led to demographic growth, a greater division of labor and specialization, and the growth ...