Dainzú
Dainzu Archaeological Zone
Late Formative–Early Classic 600 BCE–200 CE·Zapotec (Dainzú phase)·🇲🇽 Oaxaca, Tlacolula District, Mexico
About
About Dainzú
Zapotec ballplayer carving gallery (600 BCE–200 CE): Building A 35 gallery of 47 bas-reliefs of helmeted ballplayers sacrificing, cranial trauma trophy heads, jaguar ballplayer deities, temple to rain deity Cocijo with tomb. Lower plaza Building A and upper acropolis Building B chronicle transition from Olmec Dainzú to Monte Albán influence. Cemetery with 1800 CE criollo crania looting incident 1990s, protected.
Why it mattersOnly Mesoamerican site depicting ballgame trophy sacrifice in serial relief; preserves Zapotec pelota rules before Maya codification.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why gallery shows helical cranial deformation
- 02Jaguars as ballgame deities or lineages
Theories
- 01Ballgame as warfare-by-substitute for Valley feuds
- 02Dainzú as Olmec enclave vs Zapotec indigenous
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.600 BCE–200 CE; peak 300–200 BCE
- Period
- Late Formative–Early Classic 600 BCE–200 CE
- Culture
- Zapotec (Dainzú phase)
- Builders
- Zapotec
- Purpose
- Ballgame ceremonial center and rock-cut gallery
- Abandoned
- c.200 CE
- Rediscovered
- 1965 Bernal excavations
- Excavation
- Excavated
600 BCE
Building A terrace construction
300 BCE
Ballplayer gallery carved
On the ground
Structures & features
17.0035° N · 96.5572° W · 1660 m · 2 mapped features
Building A Ballplayer Gallery
gallery35 m terrace with 47 bas-relief ballplayers
17.0038° N · 96.5570° WBuilding B Acropolis
templeUpper temple platform with Cocijo urn
17.0030° N · 96.5575° W