Monte Albán Civilization
The Zapotec (Binnizá or 'the people') are an indigenous Mesoamerican people inhabiting the Central Valleys, Southern Sierra, and Isthmus regions of Oaxaca, Mexico. With nearly 800,000 people, they represent one of Mexico's largest indigenous groups. The Zapotec developed one of Mesoamerica's earliest and most enduring civilizations, building the magnificent city of Monte Albán (500 BCE-750 CE) and developing one of the first writing systems in the Americas.
First Writing in the Americas
The Zapotec created one of the first writing systems in the Americas, dating to around 500 BCE! Carved stone monuments at Monte Albán display glyphs representing words, names, and dates using a bar-and-dot number system. The Zapotec also developed a sophisticated 260-day ritual calendar and 365-day solar calendar, similar to other Mesoamerican peoples.
Black Pottery Masters: The black pottery of San Bartolo Coyotepec, created without glazes using burnishing and reduction firing, produces lustrous black ceramics with intricate designs. Teotitlán del Valle is renowned for wool rugs woven on treadle looms featuring complex geometric patterns and natural dyes.
This page celebrates the Zapotec—whose ancestors built Monte Albán's magnificent pyramids, whose scribes developed early writing recording history, and whose artisans create world-renowned black pottery and textiles.
Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Monte Albán, magnificent Zapotec city (500 BCE-750 CE), one of Mesoamerica's first major urban centers
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec black pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepec, created through burnishing and reduction firing without glazes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Zapotec wool textile from Teotitlán del Valle featuring geometric patterns and natural dyes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec hieroglyphs carved in stone, one of the earliest writing systems in the Americas (c. 500 BCE)
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Isthmus Zapotec women wearing elaborate traditional huipiles and gold jewelry for festivals
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Intricate stone mosaics at Mitla, post-classic Zapotec site known for extraordinary geometric patterns
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Monte Albán, magnificent Zapotec city (500 BCE-750 CE), one of Mesoamerica's first major urban centers
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec black pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepec, created through burnishing and reduction firing without glazes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Zapotec wool textile from Teotitlán del Valle featuring geometric patterns and natural dyes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec hieroglyphs carved in stone, one of the earliest writing systems in the Americas (c. 500 BCE)
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Isthmus Zapotec women wearing elaborate traditional huipiles and gold jewelry for festivals
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Intricate stone mosaics at Mitla, post-classic Zapotec site known for extraordinary geometric patterns
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Monte Albán, magnificent Zapotec city (500 BCE-750 CE), one of Mesoamerica's first major urban centers
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec black pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepec, created through burnishing and reduction firing without glazes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Zapotec wool textile from Teotitlán del Valle featuring geometric patterns and natural dyes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec hieroglyphs carved in stone, one of the earliest writing systems in the Americas (c. 500 BCE)
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Isthmus Zapotec women wearing elaborate traditional huipiles and gold jewelry for festivals
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Intricate stone mosaics at Mitla, post-classic Zapotec site known for extraordinary geometric patterns
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Monte Albán, magnificent Zapotec city (500 BCE-750 CE), one of Mesoamerica's first major urban centers
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec black pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepec, created through burnishing and reduction firing without glazes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Zapotec wool textile from Teotitlán del Valle featuring geometric patterns and natural dyes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec hieroglyphs carved in stone, one of the earliest writing systems in the Americas (c. 500 BCE)
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Isthmus Zapotec women wearing elaborate traditional huipiles and gold jewelry for festivals
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Intricate stone mosaics at Mitla, post-classic Zapotec site known for extraordinary geometric patterns
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Monte Albán, magnificent Zapotec city (500 BCE-750 CE), one of Mesoamerica's first major urban centers
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec black pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepec, created through burnishing and reduction firing without glazes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Zapotec wool textile from Teotitlán del Valle featuring geometric patterns and natural dyes
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Zapotec hieroglyphs carved in stone, one of the earliest writing systems in the Americas (c. 500 BCE)
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Isthmus Zapotec women wearing elaborate traditional huipiles and gold jewelry for festivals
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Intricate stone mosaics at Mitla, post-classic Zapotec site known for extraordinary geometric patterns
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)