The Zaachila Archaeological Site is important because it is considered the last capital of Zapotec power. During the Conquest, sources tell us that it was under the control of the Mixtecs, information confirmed by the finds in two of its tombs, reinforcing its importance for the cultural study of Oaxaca.
Zaachila is the official name of this site which derives from the Zapotec word Zaachila, which according to some translations can mean "First daughter; do; walk; fat; cloud; person from (somewhere); or true", that is, Us.
Thus, zaa often means "Zapotec," and chil-la (or chijil-la) is the name of "Lizard Day" in the indigenous calendar. In Nahuatl, it is called teo zapotlan, which means "The God of the Zapotec," a compound of teutl, meaning "god," and zapotlan, the name the Mexica gave to this Zapotec province.
There is little information about the history of Zaachila; although explorations conducted in the area suggest that the site was fully developed around 1100 AD, there are elements that indicate earlier origins, such as its central location, its groundwater near the surface, the feasibility of cultivating crops all year round and its flat alluvial lands, characteristics that mark it as a favorable place where one of the first agricultural villages could be established in the Valley of Oaxaca.
There are dateable fragments from Monte Albán I and II, although they are few due to the centuries after their occupation, so it is not strange to find few potsherds on the surface. Thus, it can be concluded that the city of Zaachila may have enjoyed some importance before the year 1280, as demonstrated by some surface surveys carried out in the area before and after the explorations of Roberto Gallegos in 1962.
The Archaeological Zone has been partially explored; it includes a large artificial pyramid with a series of mounds. Of particular note is Mound A, composed of chambers and four tombs; two of these are very interesting for their contents; they are called Tomb 1 and Tomb 2.
Tomb 1. The entrance is decorated with feline heads. The interior contains seven stucco figures; six are arranged in pairs on the central walls.
In the antechamber, there are representations of owls and two figures with the dates 5 Flor and 9 Flor. In the background is another figure covered in a tortoise shell and wearing a serpent-shaped headdress. The tomb contained the remains of eleven characters, along with Mixtec-style ceramic objects from the Monte Albán V period.
Tomb 2. It consists of a single, undecorated chamber. A rich offering of jewelry and objects made of gold and precious stones was found in this tomb, including rings, lip plugs, beads, a embossed disk, and a fan handle.
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