Ancient site · Settlement
San José Mogote
The largest village in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, from about 1500 to 500 BCE and the forerunner of Monte Albán. It is thought to be the oldest permanent farming village in the valley and has some of Mexico's oldest ceremonial buildings and defensive palisades, from about 1300 BCE.
A carved stone (Monument 3) of about 600 BCE showing a slain man, with two glyphs that may give his name, '1 Earthquake', may be the earliest Zapotec writing. Its people seem to have moved to the new hilltop city of Monte Albán.
- Dates
- c. 1500–500 BCE
- Still standing
- Yes
- Location
- 17.17° N, 96.80° W
How we know
Mostly archaeology dated by radiocarbon; one carved stone of about 600 BCE may carry the earliest Zapotec writing, but it can barely be read.
Nearby sites
- Monte Albán c. 500 BCE – 850 CE
- Guilá Naquitz Cave used c. 8800–6900 BCE and again c. 650–1450 CE
- San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán Olmec centre c. 1400–900 BCE
- La Venta c. 1200–400 BCE (main centre c. 900–400 BCE)
- Cuicuilco c. 1000 BCE – c. 300 CE
- Teotihuacan c. 100 BCE – 550 CE (centre burned); declined to c. 650 CE
Related
- Early Zapotec villages (Valley of Oaxaca) archaeological culture
- The world in 1500 BCE: Chariots and Empires chapter