Monte Albán - Building of the Dancers

(Local Name: Palacio de los Danzantes) The Building of the Dancers (Palazio de los Danzantes) is without doubt the most interesting part of the ruins. Its altar dates from the 6th/5th c. bc which corresponds to the Monte Albán I phase. The core of the original building was built over several times. Today a two-storey construction (30 m (99 ft) 3 60 m (197 ft)) dating from the III a and III b phases can be seen.

The most important elements are the stone slabs, once used to decorate a 3 m (10 ft)-tall terrace wall, which depict reliefs of figures, the Danzantes. Today they are displayed in several groups. The features and the glyphs are very similar to those of the Olmecs (La Venta culture) from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. It is evident that the inhabitants of Monte Albán already used a system of script, numbers and a calendar in early days. It used to be thought that the strangely-contorted figures were surprised dancers, or perhaps tortured slaves. Experts now believe, however, that the glyphs around the figures indicate that they represent important personalities. Recently several of these stone slabs have been taken to museums and replaced by polyester reproductions. A complete exchange is planned to protect the originals from the effects of bad weather.