Independencia (Road to the Atzompa Archaeological Zone), Municipality of Santa María Atzompa, Oaxaca de Juárez.
From the city of Oaxaca take the road for San Pedro Ixtlahuaca and travel 1 km until you find the signs that lead to the archeological zone.
A monumental complex close to Monte Albán that testifies to the expansion of this culture at its height. The nobility lived here, as can be inferred from the numerous palaces, living complexes, squares and a burial complex.
The monumental complex of Atzompa lies in the municipality of Santa María Atzompa, Oaxaca, between corner points 16 and 31 of the protected area boundaries for the Monte Albán archeological zone. Atzompa’s name comes from the Nahuatl words atl (“water”), tzontli (“head”) and pan (“place”), which means “at the water’s head,” a name assigned by the Mexica culture during its expansion into the Valley of Oaxaca in the Postclassic period. Atzompa is a Zapotec settlement which belongs to the pre-Hispanic city of Monte Albán. It was settled in period IIIB-IV (650-850).
The high-status palatial units within the monumental complex are noteworthy, as are its three Mesoamerican ballgame courts. Ballcourt I, the largest in the pre-Hispanic city of Monte Albán, is the most outstanding of these. Moreover, the site has a privileged view of the Valley of Etla from its northern side. It is also important to mention the quality of workmanship of its ceramic objects, such as effigy vessels, funerary urns and apaxtles (large clay pots).
The archeological project for the Atzompa monumental complex began in earnest in 2007, when the first works of excavation, consolidation, restoration and material analysis were performed. Thanks to this project, the site was opened in September 2012. Archeologically speaking, it is now one of the most important areas in the central valleys of the state of Oaxaca.
It is located in the highest part of Atzompa. Its central patio has a square floor plan (it measures more than 50 m per side) and is artificially leveled. The buildings that delimit it (1, 2, 3 and 4) are oriented towards the four cardinal points.
Building 6 or Funerary Building stands out, since here a tomb with three funerary chambers was found, one of them with mural painting. This space is closed to the public for conservation reasons.
It is an open plaza that adjoins Plaza B and faces the southern part of the great capital, Monte Albán.
It has a sunken quadrangular patio, surrounded by four platforms with slopes (inclined walls) and boards (vertical walls) of great quality, on which the rooms were placed. The walls of these were made of adobe and cut stone blocks, covered with a layer of thick stucco.
It is located to the north of the Casa de Oriente. It has an inverted T-shaped floor plan with stairways on the south side limited by alfardas. In the upper part there are remains of a possible temple.
The pre-Hispanic ball game was one of the most significant elements in the urban structure of Mesoamerican peoples. Directly related to political and religious power, it was played with a rubber ball that was hit with different parts of the body, except the hands.
