In the mountains just above Oaxaca City lies the wonderous archeological site of Monte Alban. It was the seat of power of the highly advanced Zapotec culture from around 500 BC until the city was abandoned by 950 AD. While no particular ruin is as well preserved or as grand as many of the Mayan sites, what makes the location magnificent is the scale of the monuments and the views from its 6,400 foot elevation over the surrounding valley.
The real architectural wonder of the site is that fact that around 200 BC, after the city was established and growing, the Zapotecs leveled the entire Monte Alban mountaintop to create more space. This formed the massive plateau we see today. Without the aid of the wheel or beasts of burden, millions of tons of earth were shifted to build this huge terrace containing pyramids, astronomical observatories and palaces.
