Zaachila Archaeological Ruins
Oaxaca Mexico
Travel And Tour Photos And Pictures

George And Audrey DeLange

Villa de Zaachila (VEE-yah dai SAH-ah-CHEE-lah), town, Oaxaca, S Mexico, in Sierra Madre del Sur, and 7 mi/11.3 km S of Oaxaca; 16°57'N 96°45'W. Grows cereals, sugarcane, tobacco, fruit. Pre-Columbian ruins nearby. Once the capital of the powerful Zapotec people. Formerly Zaachila, also Santa Maria Zaachila. Zaachila Ruins: The last Zapotec capital from which the names of a number of rulers are known. Zaachila was also the last Zapotec capital following the fall of Monte Alban. The site flourished from 1100-1521 AD. Toward the end, Zaachila was conquered by the Mixtecs, who occupied it until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. The name "Zaachila" is derived from the term "House of Zaachila", referencing the pre-Colombian Zapotec king "Zaachila Yoo." There is a huge (mostly unexplored) pyramid in the center of the town with a series of large stones containing hieroglyphs on one side of the main plaza. The archaeological zone has been partially excavated and includes a large man-made pyramid and a series of mounds. Mound A contains four tombs; Tomb 1 and Tomb 2 are the most outstanding. Tomb 1: The entrance to Tomb 1 is decorated with feline heads. The interior contains seven stucco figures. Six are arranged as pairs along the central walls. In the antechamber are representations of owls and two people with the dates "5 Flower" and "9 Flower". At the rear was a human figure covered by a tortoise shell and serpent headdress. The tomb contained the remains of 11 people, and ceramics of Mixtec style that date to the Monte Alban V period. Tomb 2: A single, undecorated room. The tomb contained many very rich offerings, including jewelry and objects of gold and precious jade stone. These are said to be at the museum in Mexico City, but we did not see any of them when we were there. This is a definite must see ruins. The guard is very nice and helpful. Ask him to show you the photos of the gold which was found in Tomb Two.