Yagul Archaeological Ruins
Oaxaca Mexico
Travel And Tour Photos And Pictures

George And Audrey DeLange

Yagul: There is plenty to see at Yagul (thought to be contemporary with Mitla) like tombs, the largest ball court found in the Oaxaca Valley, fretted stone mosaics, the ruins on the acropolis, and the huge defensive walls of the fortress at the top of the hill. A good place to see on the way back from Mitla. Evidence suggests that early human settlement at Yagul was as early as 3000 B.C. Although most of Yagel was built and reached its age of splendor between 750 - 950 A. D. Yagul was subsequently abandoned for a short period, but then emerged as a city-state in the Valley of Oaxaca and prevailed until shortly before the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores. It was settled by Zapotecs, who still populate much of the Tlacolula Valley. This important prehispanic center, whose name literally means "Old Stick" or "Old Tree", contains the largest ballcourt in the Oaxaca Valley, and the second largest in all of Mesoamerica. There are three parts to this fortified site. In the center, staircases lead from an enormous man-made platform to the temples and main palaces. The acropolis containing an atalaya grantica overlooks the site and the rest of the Tlacolula Valley. The view of the Tlacolula Valley from the defensive walls above the site is unequaled. Stairs lead up toward the mountain, where the majority of the town's population lived. A relatively unexplored region on the other side of the river south of Yagul contains a small palace with grecas and other modest residences. The site's architecture is similar in many ways to that of Monte Alban. It's Palace of Six Patios is almost identical to the Group of the Columns at Mitla. This enormous labyrinth-like structure was inhabited by the ruler, or rulers, of Yagul. This has been totally excavated, and surrounding the six patios are rooms with one or three entrances. The walls are made of stone and clay covered with stucco; the floors are made of red stucco. Some rooms were most certainly closed when the building was occupied. There is a throne in the northwestern patio of the southern room. To the west of these patios lie cruciform tombs. Of these, the best known is the Triple Tomb in the patio known as the Frog, or Sunken Patio. The plaza containing the Patio of the Triple Tomb is surroundeed by four temples. In the lower part of the eastern temple is a colosal monolith with an animal figure that may be a frog or a jaguar. An opening leads to the Triple Tomb. The stone facade of the principal tomb is decorated with engravings of two magnificant human heads. The door to the tomb is a slab containing hieroglyphic motifs on both sides. The Triple Tomb was constructed in about 600 B.C. and it continued to be used until about 950 A.D. On a long, narrow street to the south of the Palace of the Six Patios one finds stone mosaics identical to those at Mitla. The stone floor was quarried from the mountain. This streets ends in a long, narrow room known as the Sala de Consejo (Council Chamber) which was previously decorated with stone mosaics that have since disappeared. One enters the room via a staircase which leads to a large patio. To the west, there is a ceremonial building, and to the the east, the ballcourt. Page Two will show images of these areas.