It feels like stepping into the past to be among the ruins of an ancient civilization of people. The emotions invoked from this experience must dwell somewhere deep within the subconscious of the human race. To see creations and customs that were both familiar and foreign at the same time is slightly eerie and yet, fascinating! I try to imagine what it was to like to be Alfonso Caso, "The Godfather of Mexican Archeology", who was the first person to explore these ruins in modern history. I crouch in the catacombs of Monte Alban, squinting my eyes and thinking: 'What Indiana Jones-like contraptions guarded the entries to the tombs? What wild creatures lurked in the catacombs of the jungle infested pyramids and buildings?' No, it was just the smallest of creatures that posed a threat to the original excavations -- the mosquito. Yes, it was the pesky bloodsucker and the wicked malaria that it carried; it was a huge killer then, and a lifelong ailment today. Unflustered by the ambiguities of such an up taking, Caso (1896-1970) was to eventually become considered the single person most responsible for the development of modern Mexican archaeology. Without him and his extensive studying of the ancient peoples that inhabited the Western world, we would have less of a grasp on an already mysterious chapter in human civilization.



Another name that graced this unique archeological site (other than Sacred Mountain and White Mountain) was: Hill of the Sacred Stones. It is a beautiful description that may have lead Caso to discover that later civilizations visited the abandoned structures but did not dwell in their midst. These were sacred buildings for the people who made treks up to the green grasses and white stones to meditate in the presence of holiness. Caso found that there were eighteen stages within five distinct epochs that defined the social and political spectrum of Monte Alban from 500 BC to 1521. The discipline of archeology is a microcosm of what geologists do in their field. Both are occupations that utilize puzzle solving as a means of putting together the smallest facts in order to form a gigantic picture of world.

While I walk the steps and splash in the puddles, I give reverence to the gods of thunder and lightning. It looks dark and foreboding in the sky. Few tourists have braved the conditions to imbibe the magical aura given off by the stone blocks that were engulfed by jungle. How many years has this place been lost to nature, I wonder? Buried in dense underbrush, and imperceptible even from a distance of ten meters. Eventually they were re-introduced by The Godfather of Mexican Archeology to the rest of the world.



"Unfortunately, as the human race continues to plod along on a course of over-consumption, places such as Monte Alban are being created by the hour. The number of indigenous cultures that are eliminated each day because of the spread of technological advancements is alarming. As we become more efficient at using natural resources we simultaneously lose treasures of knowledge that will be gone forever. The wisdom of these nomadic and primal cultures is integral to our ability to stop "infinite" progress. They knew that if you eat ALL of the big herbivores there would be none left, and all the life around them would feel the repercussions, including themselves. The inclusion is the key. These ruins bring on the understanding that despite all of our fancy modern airplanes, gadgets and gizmos we still do not understand the most cardinal rules of nature, whereas the Zapotecas lived here in a cosmic harmony." - journal entry, June 19th, 2003.

ER Harris