The ancient Zapotec capital, founded around 500 BC on an artificially flattened mountaintop 10 km from modern Oaxaca. At its peak it held some 25,000 people and dominated the valleys below; by AD 750 it was abandoned. A vast central plaza lined with pyramids, a ball court, carved stelae of the "Danzantes" (enigmatic figures once thought to be dancers but now interpreted as war captives), and a hilltop view over the whole valley. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the great archaeological sites of the Americas.
Monte Alban
Ancient Zapotec hilltop capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site