A Sunlit Day at Monte Albán and a Big Step Forward for the Wiki Photo Archive
Monte Albán has a way of surprising you even when you think you know it. I spent the entire day up there today taking high resolution photographs for the MAHC Wiki, and I am still amazed at how this ancient city always feels alive. The sun was relentless and the heat had that sharp edge that makes you grateful for every patch of shade, but none of that mattered. The site was overflowing with visitors from all over the world and there was a sense of energy that I had not seen in a long time.
I was not alone on this trip. My friend Luis, who has been a steady companion on many of these MAHC field days, drove me up with my youngest son. He is only nine, but the moment we arrived he took off running with my little camera, determined to make his own Monte Albán vlog. Watching him navigate the plazas and platforms with total confidence made me smile. There is something powerful about seeing a child connect with history not through textbooks, but through curiosity and imagination. If you ever see a miniature filmmaker interviewing a stone, now you know who it is.
Capturing High Resolution Images for the MAHC Wiki
Today’s goal was straightforward but important. I have been building a free high resolution photo archive of every major structure at Monte Albán, and I want these images to be available for students, teachers, researchers and travelers everywhere. Good photography takes time though, and with a site as large as Monte Albán, you cannot rush the process. I spent hours moving between structures, climbing platforms, waiting for crowds to clear, adjusting angles and making sure each image captured the details that matter.
By next weekend, the twenty second or twenty third of November, I should have the full set edited and uploaded to their respective MAHC Wiki pages. These downloads will be completely free in high definition. My goal has always been to make the digital resources around Monte Albán as open and accessible as possible, and these photographs are an important step toward that mission.
A Day of People, Heat and a Slow Lunch Under a Tree
The crowd today caught me off guard. I have been visiting Monte Albán for years, but the number of people walking through the Grand Plaza was astonishing. Buses were coming and going nonstop and you could hear many different languages drifting across the site. It made me feel hopeful to see so many people discovering Monte Albán and learning its story. I like to think that maybe, just maybe, a few of them made the trip because of something they read in one of my Oaxaca Uncovered articles. It is a nice thought anyway.
Around midday, we escaped the sun and found a big tree behind the North Platform. We sat down, unwrapped our tortas de frijol y quesillo and ate while watching the constant flow of visitors making their way toward the exit. My son, despite being tired, was delighted. It is funny how moments of silence at archaeological sites have a way of grounding you. For thirty minutes, we were just three people under a tree, sharing food and watching history and humanity pass by in a steady stream.
Climbing the South Platform and the View from the Top
Later in the afternoon, we climbed the South Platform. Calling it a “climb” is not an exaggeration. It is steep, hot and long, but reaching the top is always worth it. The view of the entire Grand Plaza opens up in front of you like a living postcard. I took several wide shots from up there that I am excited to include in the Wiki. They are the kind of photographs that help people feel the scale of this place, especially those who may never have the chance to visit in person.
An Invitation to Support MAHC
As the Monte Albán Heritage Center grows, so does the work behind it. Every article, every map update, every photograph and every resource is something I build myself with the help of friends like Luis. This project has become a mission for me. A personal responsibility to document, preserve and share everything that makes Monte Albán extraordinary. If you have enjoyed the MAHC Wiki or learned from it or simply believe in what this project represents, I want to invite you to stand with me in this work.
You can now support MAHC directly and help me accelerate the creation of free resources for students, teachers and visitors around the world. Your support helps me produce more high resolution photography, finish the Spanish version of the interactive map, build the animated timeline and continue expanding the Wiki so that everyone can explore Monte Albán with clarity and wonder.
👉 Click here to support the Monte Albán Heritage Center
Thank you so much!
