WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE ANCIENT CITIES OF OAXACA?

Abstract

Abstract

This paper focuses on two Oaxacan cities and the idea that monumental architecture can reveal ancient political and cultural hierarchies. To evaluate this belief we contrast the main hypotheses about Monte Alban’s great plaza with the information   from pueblo viejo in San Dionisio Ocotepec. While the ruling class at Monte Alban employed few building complexes and palaces on top of the hill, Lass Guie’é encompasses numerous hillocks and esplanades dedicated to commerce and other activities. Based on the surface walks and spatial studies, each neighborhood in this place was organized separately, although all would have interacted based on the substantive tasks of the city. This complementarity must have been a common thing in Mesoamerican cities, so the recently prepared database will be useful for analyzing the social structure of other sites in the Zapotec area.