Mitla is the second-most important archeological site in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, after Monte Albán, and the most important of the Zapotec culture. in the upper end of the Tlacolula Valley, one of the three cold, high valleys that form the Central Valleys Region of the state. At an elevation of 4,855 ft (1,480 m), surrounded by the mountains of the Sierra Madre del Sur, the archeological site is within the modern municipality of San Pablo Villa de Mitla. It is 24 mi (38 km) southeast of Oaxaca city. While Monte Albán was the most important politically of the Zapotec centers, Mitla became the main religious one in a later period as the area became dominated by the Mixtec. The name Mictlán was transliterated to Mitla. It was established as a sacred burial site by the Zapotec, but the architecture and designs also show the influence of the Mixtec, who had become prominent in the area during the peak of Mitla settlement.
Mitla is unique among Mesoamerican sites because of its elaborate and intricate mosaic fretwork and geometric designs that cover tombs, panels, friezes, and even entire walls of the complex. These mosaics are made with small, finely cut and polished stone pieces that have been fitted together without the use of mortar. No other site in Mexico has this decorative work.
History of the site
Mitla is one of many well-preserved archeological sites in the Oaxaca Valley, where the cold, dry climate has conserved sites as old as 10,000 years. This valley was settled by the Zapotec before the turn of the first millennium, who over the centuries developed a hierarchical society governed by elites. While the valley was relatively isolated, the Zapotec did have contacts with other Mesoamerican peoples. This has been demonstrated by cultural, pottery and other influences that flowed back and forth between other peoples.
By the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the Mixtec had migrated into the area. The mixed Zapotec state had a population of more than 500,000. They had developed and used sophisticated construction techniques, a writing system, two calendar systems, and sophisticated systems of agricultural cultivation. Their basic crops were maize, beans, squash, and chili peppers. These were dependent on their constructed irrigation systems and the use of terraces on mountain slopes in order to grow food for the mostly urban population. Nobles buried at Mitla were believed to be destined to become “cloud people,” who would intercede on behalf of the population below. Another early writer was Diego García de Palacio, a Spanish nautical engineer working in Mexico and Guatemala, whose account was dated in 1576.
The stone blocks and remains were used as building materials for Spanish churches, including the Church of San Pablo, which was constructed on top of part of the ruins. The north side of the Cathedral of Oaxaca incorporates design features from Mitla to symbolize that the old culture was superseded by the new religious order.
Since the 1980s, Mitla has been the site of further excavations, with important work conducted on the North Group. The colonial church was excavated around the start of the 21st century. For Mexico's bicentennial celebrations in 2010, INAH has been intensifying efforts to conserve the ancient ruins.
Description of site
Rather than being a group of pyramids on a ridge, as is Monte Albán, Mitla is a group of structures built on the valley floor. These valleys are at high elevations (more than 1370 m (4500 ft) high). The site does not have the far and wide vistas of Monte Albán. The architecture is characterized as more for the comfort of the residents rather than for magnificence. The construction of Mitla as a ceremonial center began in 850CE. The city was fully developed when the Spaniards arrived and brutally destroyed it due to religious zeal in the mid-16th century.
The oldest group of buildings has been dated to between 450 and 700 CE and shows architectural features similar to those found at the earlier Monte Albán. Mitla is one of the few sites that was started in the Classic period, when the Mixtec became dominant in the area.
The construction of the stone walls appears to have had similar techniques for all groups: a core of mud and stone covered with plaster or well-cut trachyte rock.
Columns Group
thumb|Palace column room
To the south of the Church Group is the Columns Group, whose main building is called the Palace.
Conservation of the site
The two main concerns for the Mitla site are the eroding effects of wind, rain etc. and graffiti. Reconstruction projects planned or underway include, rebuilding the 17th-century wall of a room used as a priests’ residence in the Church Group, laying stucco floors in the Columns Group, sealing of platforms and fortifications walls, and landscaping and the restoration of a colonial-era rainwater collection tank. The last was the only one of its kind built in the valley during the colonial period.