Mapiri angapo omwe ali pakatikati pa chigwa cha Oaxaca adateteza umodzi mwamizinda yakale kwambiri ku America: Monte Alban, likulu la zikhalidwe zaku Zapotec komanso likulu lofunika kwambiri pandale komanso pachuma m'derali nthawi ya ku Spain isanachitike.
Ntchito yomanga nyumba zoyambirira zaboma komanso zachipembedzo, limodzi ndi ntchito zina, monga mabwalo, mabwalo, zipilala, nyumba zachifumu ndi manda zidayamba pafupifupi 500 BC, ngakhale kukwera kwa Monte Albán kudachitika pakati pa 300-600 AD. pamene mzinda udakumana ndi chitukuko chofunikira m'malo onse; Chitsanzo cha izi chinali zomangamanga, zopangidwa ndi maziko akuluakulu, okhala ndi akachisi omangidwa polemekeza milungu yaulimi, chonde, moto ndi madzi. Chodziwika mu zomangamanga ndi nyumba zapamwamba zachifumu, likulu la oyang'anira olemekezeka ndi olamulira; pansi pamabwalo amakola awa manda amiyala adamangidwa kuti azikhalamo nzika zawo zonse.
Anthu ena onse adangokhalira kuyang'ana pagulu la anthu. Nyumbazi zinali ndi zomangamanga zazing'ono zokhala ndi maziko amiyala ndi makoma a zidole. Mumzindawu ndizotheka kuti madera osiyanasiyana akhazikitsidwa, kutengera mtundu wa anthu okhala, monga owumba mbiya, oyang'anira nyumba, owomba nsalu, amalonda, ndi ena. Akuyerekeza kuti panthawiyi mzindawu udakhala ndi dera la 20 km2 ndipo anthu adafika pakukhala anthu 40,000.
Chilichonse chikuwonetsa kuti Monte Albán adakwanitsa kupititsa patsogolo pogonjetsa asitikali, kulanda olamulira omwe adapikisana nawo komanso kupereka msonkho kwa anthu omwe adalanda. Zina mwazinthu zomwe amatolera ngati msonkho ndipo zina zomwe zimapezeka posinthana panali zakudya zosiyanasiyana, monga chimanga, nyemba, sikwashi, peyala, chili ndi koko.
M'nyengo yamaluwa, zikhalidwe zikuwonetsa kusiyanasiyana kwa zochitika zaluso ndi zaluso. Ku Monte Albán, zadothi zimapangidwa kuti zizigwiritsidwa ntchito tsiku ndi tsiku: mbale, miphika, magalasi ndi mbale, ndi zida zamiyala monga mipeni, mikondo, ndi obsidian ndi miyala yamwala.
Zikuwonekeratu kuti panali kusiyana kotsimikizika pakati pa moyo wapabanja wa anthu ambiri ndi wa magulu ochepa a anzeru, ansembe ndi asing'anga, omwe adayika chidziwitso, kutanthauzira kalendala, amaneneratu zochitika zakuthambo ndikuchiritsa odwala. Motsogozedwa ndi iye, zipilala ndi miyala inamangidwa, komanso amayendetsa zikondwerero ndikukhala nkhoswe pakati pa amuna ndi milungu.
Cha m'ma 700 AD kuchepa kwa mzindawu kunayamba; ntchito zomanga pamlingo waukulu zidatha, pomwe kuchepa kwakukulu kwa anthu kumatsatira; malo ambiri okhalamo anasiyidwa; enanso anali ndi mipanda yoletsa magulu ankhondo olandawo kuti asalowe. Ndikotheka kuti kuchepa kwa mzindawu kudachitika chifukwa chakutha kwachilengedwe, kapena mwina kulimbana kwamagulu amkati mwamphamvu. Zambiri zimafotokoza zakugwetsedwa kwa atsogoleri ndi magulu ocheperako omwe apatsidwa chifukwa cha kusalingana komwe kudalipo komanso kusowa kwa mwayi wopeza katundu.
Mzinda wa Zapotec unakhalabe wopanda anthu kwa zaka mazana angapo, koma cha m'ma 1200 AD, kapena mwina zaka 100 m'mbuyomo, a Mixtec, akuchokera kumapiri akumpoto, adayamba kuyika maliro awo m'manda a Monte Albán; A Mixtec adabweretsa miyambo yatsopano yomwe imatha kuwonedwa m'machitidwe amisiri; Anagwiritsanso ntchito chitsulo, amapanga mabuku ojambulidwa ngati codex, komanso adatulutsa zinthu zosiyanasiyana zopangira ndi njira zosiyanasiyana zopangira ceramic, chipolopolo, alabaster ndi mafupa.
Chitsanzo chodziwikiratu cha kusintha kwachikhalidwechi chikuyimiridwa ndi chuma chapadera, chopangidwa ndi Mixtec, chomwe chidapezeka ku Tomb 7, chomwe chidapezeka mu 1932. Komabe, mzinda womwe udakhazikika pamwamba pa phirilo sudzapezanso kukongola kwake, mboni yosalankhula za ukulu wa makolo omwe amakhala m'maiko amenewa.
