Mitla – Place of the Dead

Two unique aspects of the fascinating archeological site of Mitla stand out immediately. The first is that it has been surrounded by inhabitants since prehistorical times. And the area around the site continues to be inhabited by Zapotec descendants to this day. Important Zapotec chiefs lived there well into the 16th century. The first nomadic families settled in Mitla over 10,000 years ago. They sought refuge in the caves and even beneath the projecting rocks of the area. Terraces have been discovered where corn and beans were cultivated at the foot of the cave and rock formations, indicating a gradual change from nomadic to sedentary life. The nomads, who settled in groups of three to five families eventually built houses and began manufacturing pottery.

The second immediately apparent quality is its architecture. Mitla is one of the architectural wonders of Mexico. A place of unparalleled beauty, it was neither grandiose nor a might city (as was Monte Albán). There are a group of five palace like structures scattered about and guarded by a fortified stronghold high up on nearby hill. A colonial church was built right into one of the palaces and today during the many fiestas in Oaxaca the present day Zapotecs celebrate native ceremonies side by side with Christian rites. It was reported by Father Burgoa, the Spanish chronicler, that Mitla was once the residence of the Zapotec High Priest who was so powerful that the king ‘Zaashila’ bowed to his wishes and commands.

The five ‘palaces’ mentioned were precincts: one for the Zapotec High Priest, one for the secondary priests, one for the Zapotec king and his entourage when visiting and one for the military officers. According to Burgoa, the priests carried out their ceremonies dressed in white robes amid clouds of copal incense. In the inner chamber of his palace the High Priest ruled from his Jaguar covered throne - even the king, when in his presence, took a lesser seat. The floors, kept scrupulously clean and covered with woven mats, were a place of sleep for all who stayed the night.

A word about the architectural ornamentation of Mitla’s palace buildings which combined several different elements: Long panels and entire walls are covered with geometric stonework mosaics. The motifs are quite varied and are seldom repeated. These intricate arabesques are almost entirely based on the step and fret motif where each piece of veneer was set against a red stucco background. These were composed of thousands of small polished stones set together with no mortar of any kind. These elaborately decorative figures emphasize the importance of the buildings and their powerful dwellers. Mitla was an organized theocracy presided over by tremendous spiritual leaders to whom all temporal rulers owed their allegiance. Mitla seems another testimony to Zapotec conservatism, in its preservation of this older style of social order in an era when the priesthood of other areas in Mexico were little more than mouthpieces for kings.