Archaeological Sites:
San José el Mogote

Description
Zapotecas were one of the first Meso-American nations to construct large public buildings, develop hieroglyphics and construct important urban centers. It has been thought that Oaxaca's Central Valleys were the centre for this culture's development. In this site, cultural remnants prove that life was a continuous sequence that developed and grew for over 1,000 years.

San Jose Mogote has been in place for over 3,500 years. It was probablyoneof the first settlements that went from a rustic village to a major city, becoming the largest settlement of its time. It covers land that belongs to the Guadalupe Etla region, the entire San Jose Mogote county and some land in San Sebastian Etla County. This was the founding place for a culture that would reach its peak in the more famous city of Monte Alban but, during its peak, San Jose Mogote was the core of the Etla Valley region. It featured a palace, ball court and several temples. It is presumed that the site was deserted 400 years AD, though sometime before the Spanish arrived, it was populated for a short time, again.

The Zapoteco Calendar
Zapoteco people used to believe that time was not linear, but cyclic. Important incidents were supposed to happen repeatedly at unpredictable times.

In order to tell time, Zapotecos developed two calendars. The Solar calendar was composed of 18 twenty day "months", plus 5 additional days that would complete a total of 365 days per year, while the Ritual calendar was formed by 20 different hieroglyphics that represented the "Signs of Days", which were combined with 13 different numbers, thus forming a 260 day long year.

Children were named according to their date of birth, and the day this represented in the Ritual calendar. For example, names such as Tiger One and Flower Five, were commonplace in the Oaxaca Central Valleys at the time.

One of the oldest forms of use that this 260 day calendar had, has been found in the San Jose el Mogote archaeological zone: Monument 3, which displays the following name: "Tremor One". In addition to this discovery, two jars engraved with the names "Tiger One" and " 'J' Two", were also found.

Location
This site is located just 7.46 miles northwest of Oaxaca City, on Federal Highway 190, headed for the village of Etla. You must drive for 1.24 miles, then turn left when you reach the union with the Guadalupe and Soledad Etla highways, until you have reached the town. Estimated traveling time: 25 min.

Archaeological Sites

Dainzú	Guiengola	Huamelulpan
Huijazoo	Lambityeco	Mitla
Monte Albán	Nopala	San José el Mogote
Tututepec	Yagul	Yucuita
	Zaachila

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