Mitla is one the best preserved pre-Hispanic archeological sites in Mexico that I have been to. Its name comes from the language spoken by the Aztecs (Nahuatl) and it means “Place of the Dead”. The reason for the name is due to the tombs constructed in this place.
The town in which it is located is San Pablo Villa de Mitla, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. This archeological zone is only about 45 km from the capital city of Oaxaca (the capital and the state are both named Oaxaca, similar to New York State and New York City, but Oaxaca is not quite like New York in fact).
The earliest structures where built by the Zapotec people, a Mesoamerican tribe that ruled most of the current land body of the modern state of Oaxaca. The Zapotec believed that the common people emerged from the trees or the animals to become humans; however they believed that their rulers, on the other hand, descended from a race of people that lived in the clouds and that upon death, they would return to heaven. Thus the Zapotec built elaborate tombs at this site, to put to rest their heavenly rulers. The structures themselves were built with architectural proportions and shapes that captured their beliefs about their place in the cosmos. For example one of the tombs, is built in the shape of a cross, with the proportions of the cross resembling the proportions of a human being. Where the center of the cross is the center of the human being and also the center of the universe, since the human being and the universe were linked. At this spot the deceased body of the heavenly ruler is placed to begin his journey back to the Cosmos.
Mitla, Oaxaca
However, at a later point in history, the city of Mitla was taken over by force by another tribe called the Mixtecs. Thus the earliest structures on this site are of Zapotec origin, while the older structures have a mixture of Zapotec and Mixtec styles. As it usually occurs, when two cultures collide, the invading Mixtecs fused some of their beliefs with the original Zapotec ideas.
In 1494 another Mesoamerican tribe, the Aztecs, sacked and conquered Mitla, becoming subordinate to the Aztec empire. However in 1521, (a different tribe) the Spanish Catholic Crown arrived to the New World and defeated the warring Aztecs, and captured Mitla. Soon after, the Christian missionaries who arrived after the Spanish Conquistadors began their task of evangelizing the inhabitants of Mitla. All pervading pre-Christian beliefs made the conversion all the more difficult, especially when the memory of those beliefs were being manifested by the religious structures and tombs. As such, the Spanish destroyed the old temple and built a church with the original building materials of the temple. As such, today, the church, still active, has the ruins of Mitla, right in its backyard.
The archeological park has two main sites, behind the church, which has open access to the public, completely free of charge; and in front of the church, which you have to pay a small fee at the entrance.
The archeological structures behind the church are smaller with no tombs. However the walls are decorated with mosaic frieze that represent the passage of time and the cosmos. These groups of structures are called “Grupo de Iglesia”.
The archeological structures in front of the church are blocked off to the public by a wire fence, forcing one to go through the official entrance and paying a very small fee. These second set of structures are more impressive and bigger. This is a former palace and is called “Grupo de Columnas”. It has three large rooms placed around a courtyard and a tomb. If you have a tour guide, ask him to take you inside the tomb structure where you can see the inner structure and walls encapsulating the ancient tomb. Our tour guide did, it is allowed. But beware, you literally have to crawl through the elaborate passage ways.
If you like to take pictures, then I recommend visiting some the structures in the back of the church, since is not full of tourists as the palace is. Also right next to the church, there are plenty of indigenous vendors selling original handcrafts and hand made clothing at very low prices. In fact, some of the best prices I have seen in Mexico.
The town itself is pretty extraordinary. Although modern housing is all pervading, it is an interesting fact that large stone pre-Hispanic sculptures and temple ruins have been found by home owners on their own backyard. Some refused to give away their personal home and property (for the sake of eccentric archeologist obsessed with the past) and as such, the ruins can be seen on the backyards of modern houses. How about that to decorate your backyard lawn!?
