Mitla: The Sacred Zapotec City of the Underworld

Located in the heart of the Oaxaca, the ancient city of Mitla is one of the oldest and most important sites in the lands of the Zapotecs. It may bave been inhabited as early as 900 BC, an certainly was in the classic period, and would have been known to the residents of the great capital of Teotihuacan. Said to built on top of a vast network of caves, it became the home of a cult devoted to the Underworld, and the most important religious center of the Zapotecs. Famous for its unique style of mosaic architecture, it also features traces of thousand year old murals depicting astronomical illustrations.
In this video I will visit not only the Church Group and Columns Group which are in the official archeological site, but also lesser known Arroyo Group, Adobe Group, and South Group which are scattered throughout the city of Mitla and contain unexcavated pyramids.
More information about The Mitla Landslide can be found in the following article:
www.hindawi.com/journals/ijge...
Here is a beautiful book of photographs of Mitla from 1927:
archive.org/details/mitla/mod...
If you would like to know more about the recent research into Mitla, I reccomend watching the video about it made by ‪@AncientArchitects‬ here:
• Searching for the LOST...

[@auldbadyin]

Super video! I’m really glad to have found your channel via the weird KZbin algorithm. Your content, details, and itinerary are great and you make each video personal and unique. Thanks for taking us along. Looking forward to your future posts. Cheers!👍

[@pyramidreview8664]

Thank you! I've got plenty more to share

[@amaquonsippi]

Exactamente cabron.

[@seriouslyigiveup]

Aw man, that art work all chipped away breaks my heart, thanks for showing that, I loved it.

[@pyramidreview8664]

It was one of the times when I really wished I had a time machine. But on the other hand, we are lucky we still have this to see at this site. So many others are just bare skeletons. Makes you wonder what has been lost...

[@rh81454]

You're doing a lot in informing the public about these sites. Again, I had no idea this existed. Thank you!

[@pyramidreview8664]

There are an amazing number of them, I am only scratching the surface. But I am vrry happy to share what I know!

[@rh81454]

@@pyramidreview8664 Thank you. Hey, one day you'll end up on the JRE.

[@pyramidreview8664]

@@rh81454 haha, maybe!

[@lynnmcmullen3157]

Amazing don't know how I've never seen this place

[@pyramidreview8664]

It makes me so happy to know that I am sharing these wonderful places with people who have never heard of them before 🥲

[@floceloramirez7289]

Your in my backyard thank you for your video bro

[@pyramidreview8664]

😍 You live in a beautiful place

[@floceloramirez7289]

@@pyramidreview8664 well to be honest I was born in Asunción Ocotlan de Morelos Oaxaca but I’m in Montana currently but I go back for two months every Year. Thank you for your work it makes me feel like I’m there

[@floceloramirez7289]

@@pyramidreview8664 thank you and keep up it!

[@user-kg1xt8iy2d]

Great videos, bro. Just found your channel

[@pyramidreview8664]

Great, well enjoy! I've filmed many more that I haven't edited yet, the best is yet to come.

[@laurah1020]

Thank you for taking us with you on this tour of the Mitla region. Just happened on to a video about the imaging research of the ground below those sacred plazas and 'temples'! Marco M. Vigato (Director of ARX Project - LYOBAA PROJECT in Mitla - Oaxaca; Mexico) interviewed, and shows what they found, if you're interested (Andean Megalithic Technology channel on YT) Thank you again for documenting and sharing these precious ruins, as they stand today, and your deeper knowledge of them!

[@ronan1876]

Great channel. Glad I found it. Keep up the good work

[@badlandsexplorer3712]

Awesome video, I have not seen this much video of this beautiful city. Very informative video, thank you.

[@user-Votan]

Magical Mexico Forever

[@michaeluribe6464]

dope video learn a lot today!

[@fadyarzolamerchak3476]

Gracias por compartir el programa cultural saludos desde la ciudad de México ❤️😘🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🙏

[@pyramidreview8664]

Gracias!!

[@russellmillar7132]

Cool dude! This is a site my wife and I visited years ago. We didn't spend the time here that we did at, say Palenque, and never did a deep dive into the history that you did a good job of detailing. The part about agriculture is fascinating. And the underworld stuff really captures the imagination. Good job!!

[@pyramidreview8664]

Oaxaca isn't as famous abroad for its ancient sites but they certainly have a lot of cool ones I have a whole Playlist of Zapotec sites in Oaxaca, and one of the underwatched videos is about an ancient irrigation system, you might like that one too!

[@FacesintheStone]

Thank you! Great to see you! Looking good friend!

[@FacesintheStone]

17:33 amazing! The Greek connection? Interesting. You’re just dropping fact after fact, after fact in these. Your passion really comes through and people are starting to notice. Very cool what you’re doing, thank you for this lecture and tour.

[@pyramidreview8664]

@@FacesintheStone Indeed, you can see the resemblance to the patterns on Greek pottery and walls: www.istockphoto.com/es/ilustraciones/greek-key-pattern

[@RodrigoMera]

Why do I feel there are still excavations to be made in Mitla? The place is pretty extensive in area for a Mesoamerican site. Thanks for uploading, greetings from Mexico City.

[@pyramidreview8664]

A lot of it was excavated in the Porfiriato so it can use an update 😅

[@CaesarSneezy]

"THIS is a barrel cactus" cracks me up every time

[@pyramidreview8664]

It's true, it is

[@nancysotomayor3196]

Very fine art work and the beautifull paintings hidden and covered with stuco

[@melodywood1983]

Learning now they found what they believe is the entrance. I would love an updated video. Thank you for this one.❤

[@kristy3625]

Super fascinating video!! Thank you!

[@pyramidreview8664]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@controversialquotes8163]

Found this video by searching for a short about this church. You go to some awesome places! You need more subscribers!

[@pyramidreview8664]

Thank you! I should go back and do a follow-up. Tell your friends, I guess?

[@controversialquotes8163]

@@pyramidreview8664 The man, the myth, the legend has replied to my comment! I'm sure with lidar and ground penetrating radar finding things more often there may be quite a few places you could revisit. Some of my friends are really into pyramids and ancient cultures, so I'm for sure gonna put them on to your channel. Hope you have safe travels on your next trip. Looking forward to the videos!

[@Henry_6161]

I like your video. I like yojr journey. ❤ From Indonesia. ❤

[@mcjok88]

Excellent. Calm, methodical review of the area. Thank you.

[@pyramidreview8664]

That's the idea

[@nicksothep8472]

Really enjoying your channel 👍🏻🖤🏴‍☠️

[@pyramidreview8664]

Thanks! There is plenty more to come

[@Aragon714]

I was born in Mitla , wish i could go back Post more Mitla/Tlacolua videos soon brother ❤ 🙏

[@pyramidreview8664]

Yes! I have some more Oaxaca videos, if you look for my oldest ones. I will make one about Zapotec writing system in a few months. I need to go back and film some more in Dainzu and Santa Anna del Valle and Xaaga. I hope you can return one day! ❤️

[@DigitalDuelist]

Id love to see whats down there! Figures its blocked off like any other site thst will satify our curiousity about our past

[@pyramidreview8664]

well, good news! They just finished the scan project and found a big cavity under the altar of the church. They are now going to scan the other sites in the city to look for more entrances, and hopefully begin excavations soon. The authorities seem interested in exploring it, so there might be some interesting news to come!

[@DigitalDuelist]

@@pyramidreview8664 That's great news! I'm very glad they're not going the Egypt route where they just bury or hide anything that bring up too many questions. I saw the Maya and Olmec ruins in the Yucatan and Belize. Fell in love with that area being from Nevada where there's no history

[@nikkymurat29]

great content. thank you.

[@boballen2]

Wow! Just amazing!

[@jeffreyforeman5031]

thanks again your presentations of pyramids are great it motivated me to go to tula and queretero and tecozalta. its almost better to watch on video than to travel haha take care thank you

[@TheDistur]

When there's no more room in the underworld...

[@lunamaria1048]

The dead will walk the Earth

[@brofessormex]

And here we are. It isn't as bad as I'd imagined. I can tell there's weird glitches and things missing.

[@lawrenceanthrax375]

It would be and experience to be there alone at night 🌙 see 👀 what noises from the past manifest

[@pyramidreview8664]

The whole town has a strange and unique energy, and indeed, for such a sleepy village it felt surprisingly alive at night. Not necessarily the people, but the buildings, the mountains, everything.

[@lorimiller4301]

Interesting. Life is paranormal.

[@ianoficinag3467]

Totally fascinating. You are so knowledgable and prepared. Are you a professor

[@pyramidreview8664]

I am not a professor, just a historian.

[@tomahawkmiller57]

. Thank you incredible thank you very much

[@connorlappe2418]

*stands up* 👏👏👏 great video

[@pyramidreview8664]

Thank you Connor, there are more to come!

[@connorlappe2418]

@@pyramidreview8664 You seem level headed, my greatest confliction comes from the boxes beneath the great pyramids at saqqarah. What do you think of those?

[@pyramidreview8664]

@@connorlappe2418 I have been fascinated with ancient Egyptian history myself as well for many years and I've seen and read all kinds of stuff about that place and other places there. I've never been to Egypt myself and want to check it out and explore it, and film it for this vlog if I have the chance.

[@pyramidreview8664]

@@connorlappe2418 People come up with many alluring theories about how ancient people couldn't make a straight line if they tried, yet they managed to do so across many continents. People say this and that about everything. I don't know. I've never been to Egypt. I would like to have to have a look at it myself first.

[@connorlappe2418]

@@pyramidreview8664 i mainly raise my eyebrows, not at myths or legends, but the large scale cutting of the high density stones. Thanks for responding.

[@I0goose0I]

Great video, there's so much about this culture and mine that are the same and never talked about. It makes more sense to me that if it aligned with an astronomical alignment they would have to have known about it precisely, right? when where, planning to make it, a lot of beforehand knowledge to make any megalithic site align with anything right?

[@pyramidreview8664]

Yes definitely. There are many mesoamerican sites with such alignments, and it seems that there was an advanced knowledge of astronomy and alignments already 3000 years ago, long before this and other sites were built.

[@I0goose0I]

@@pyramidreview8664 I’ve noticed and I’m sure others have, the geometric pattern carved into the walls all over that place, are the same or too strikingly similar everywhere around the world for it not to be a form of written language. Couldn’t be a coincidence that you see the same type of pattern in every culture, carved into every single megalithic site.

[@pyramidreview8664]

@@I0goose0I Those are said to be based on weaving, which is a specialty of Oaxaca to this day. I think the reason they are common to many cultures is just that there are only so many ways you can weave something. But they do have meaning, there are still different patterns for different villages, and lots of women in Oaxaca still wear traditional clothes with these patterns. The reason I don't think it was a language is that the Zapotecs who lived there had a written language! I filmed a lot of examples of it when I was there. It is a very complicated and interesting topic I hope to make a video about in the future.

[@shinkisaragi4369]

You think you’ll ever do a review of the yácata pyramids in Tzintzuntzan? In the state of Michoacan as someone of purepecha (Tarascan) heritage I always feel like they’re always overlooked by historians, anthropologists and archaeologists despite their many contributions to ancient MesoAmerica

[@pyramidreview8664]

I have been there and filmed one, it's a very interesting place! It was raining and I think it wasn't the best video, but I'll upload it eventually.

[@shinkisaragi4369]

@@pyramidreview8664 looking forward to it by the way I’m a new subscriber, and your content is great I thank the KZbin algorithm for helping me find your channel.

[@amaquonsippi]

When you said " not much to see here* it was a cactus I know. Que le vaya bien

[@whyisitviral]

Looks like they found the entrance now

[@pyramidreview8664]

Indeed! Right under the altar of the church. Hopefully I can return and make a follow-up video.

[@nancysmith2389]

Everybody is a critic. That stuff was heavy.😂

[@robertafierro5592]

Very very good video. I think.there are too many headshots but that's the only thing wrong. For example when he's talking about the Greccas..

[@pyramidreview8664]

Yeah, I filmed more B-roll of the building but a lot of it was too shaky or bright to use unfortunately. Next time!

[@poriland41]

last place I will build a church - hells door!

[@thexdirtyxduece5741]

Love the video. So basically, no one can enter to the underground or it’s blocked by the Spanish ? Or is it still accessible to the public ??

[@pyramidreview8664]

It seems to be sealed. But recent scanning showed that the tunnel is there, so they will probably be doing an excavation soon, and hopefully eventually opening it to the public. In the meantime they will be scanning the other parts of the site looking for other entrances. Search for Mitla in the news, it was all over the place when they announced this recently.

[@thexdirtyxduece5741]

@@pyramidreview8664 Thank you for sharing that knowledge. Very interesting information.

[@pyramidreview8664]

@@thexdirtyxduece5741 I will hopefully do a follow-up video soon!

[@paulcottreau8222]

whats the estimated weight of the lintels

[@pyramidreview8664]

The smaller ones are 5-10 tons, the largest are 17-25

[@dominicgarcia85]

I went to Leon and there was sum new pyramids at that time 2010ish but I never found more on it

[@pyramidreview8664]

In Guanajuato? There are a few around there but they haven’t been researched much, unfortunately.

[@dominicgarcia85]

@@pyramidreview8664 yeah I would have to do a lil map research to be 100% sure but I stayed in Guanajuato most my trip it was less than hour drive so I assume so drove from valle de Santiago to Leon it was just outside of there I think I may have got it wrong might be canada de virgin that name rings a bell

[@TheVJTiticaca]

the allignment of venus mars and scorpio will be on 25th nov 2027 it is a highly magnetic event and about attracting the love energies. probally they had wild feasts there

[@oppastoppa9786]

i wonder what the mixtecs were involved in when it came to mictla

[@pyramidreview8664]

As far as I know the Mixtecs took over the Western side of the Oaxaca Valley, and it was mostly Zapotecs in the East (until the Aztecs took over everything). But there will probably be more excavations there soon, so hopefully we will get a better idea of the details.

[@pedrocarbonel2959]

Sir Maraming pantsyong hindi makikits. Na mahiwagsng mga lugar Na kahit mgs Exporting say hindi msipsliwsnag.💜💜🖤🖤🖤👍💛🌕💜

[@pyramidreview8664]

Salamat kaibigan 🙏🙏🙏

[@rudy103069]

looks like a rebuilt temple? big smooth cut lental rock and patchy stone work in other places? two different construction?

[@pyramidreview8664]

in general, civilizations have multiple construction techniques, especially for their most impressive buildings

[@threeshocks5769]

Children of the sun

[@zsdfafasdasdada1368]

G n o s i s . O r g

[@danseng3747]

Didn't you notice how it looks like 2 forms of architecture? The original big structures are made of blocks that look like 1 ton to 20 tons, yet the rebuilds and form continuations are only made of smaller rock that a man can lift by himself. Who the hell built the original "large block" buildings and why haven't you mentioned this? Are you avoiding our Pre-history?

[@craigmiller4528]

Tzompantli Shirt ??

[@pyramidreview8664]

I bought it at the gift shop of the main pyramid of the Aztecs, the Templo Mayor in Mexico City, so it's from the real Tzompantli, not the band

[@craigmiller4528]

@@pyramidreview8664 listen to Indigenous !

[@majicogarcia8417]

The backdoor of hell? Reminds me of this chick I used to date.

[@sharongillesp]

Death and the underworld - or death and the afterlife? Just like with ancient Egypt, THEY call it “The Book of the Dead,” but in actuality, it’s like the Christian Bible, which could also be called “The Book of the Dead.” The titles demonize their past as something provocative and evil.

[@pyramidreview8664]

That's only if you associate the underworld with the Christian hell though. The Underworld is an important concept in mesoamerican cosmology and it's literally about another world beneath this world. The Underworld is demonic only if you view it through a Christian lens and not in an ancient mesoamerican context.

[@Merovigne]

Great video. Thanks for taling the time to show us. 2 different civilizations. The gods of the America's match the hindu gods. The blue God is lord Shiva. Mayan Lord Xiba. Also known as Xibalba or in hindu Shivalya. Just like the blue decorated skull at 2:12 shiva is also blue. Mitla was probably named after the ancinet vedic intellectual city Mithila. You can decipher so much more of this history using Tamil and their god structure.

[@danseng3747]

If the caves were big enough to live in and domesticate plant, don't you think it would be logical to assume that they lived in these caves? Maybe because the Ice Age was too cold to live on the surface? you mentioned how the sun came out 1 day and it freaked out the cave dwellers. That was the end of the Ice age, right?

[@pyramidreview8664]

How would you farm corn inside a cave?

[@danseng3747]

@@pyramidreview8664 Possibly a seed stash for a warmer time

[@danseng3747]

If that's what you're trying to tell us why not just go and mention Graham Hancock and get on his side as we need more people on his side

[@pyramidreview8664]

@@danseng3747 I didn't get a chance to go to the caves this time, but if I ever return to Oaxaca they're on the top of my list and I will make a video about them

[@jeraldbaxter3532]

Did the great glaciers of the Ice Age reach Northern Mexico? The maps I have seen show that the glaciers didn't even completely cover the USA, at least not during times of human habitation. I can imagine Mexico,at that time, was cooler but hardly freezing.

[@tikitiki7610]

too bad you just ran through the paintings.

[@pyramidreview8664]

I filmed more but unfortunately my camera lens was fogging up and it was too blurry to include in the video. 😭

[@toddincabo]

@Pyramid Review Really enjoyed the context of the video and the info, but come on man, do we have to watch your head 99% of the time instead of the surroundings?, and what's with that speaking like some old Native American shaman. Clean those things up and you could get a lot of subscribers.

[@pyramidreview8664]

haha, Yeah too much of my head in this video. I'm not very good at filming! I'm learning as I go! But I will take it into account. And as for my manner of speaking, english isn't my first language that's just how I speak 🤷

[@toddincabo]

@@pyramidreview8664 Yeah, just because in the early days of KZbin everyone were infatuated with seeing themselves on "TV" that shitty style stuck. I hope you keep em' coming.

[@pyramidreview8664]

@@toddincabo I am a fan of bald and bankrupt and those sorts of youtubers, and I luke that style, but I agree it's a shame to always show my face when there is other interesting stuff around. It's tricky! To travel all day and walk around in the sun and set up a camera and recite a speech from memory and then also think about where you're pointing thw camera. but like all things it will improve with practice, and I appreciate the input

[@clintcowan9424]

Sounds satanic. Ymwh judges

[@TIARRABRISENO-dy1dr]

I hate when you can hear people huff and puff in videos. Edit your commentary in after you get your footage.

[@nancysmith2389]

You don't have anything to do, do you?😂

[@danseng3747]

Your trying to tell us that in the year 880AD, man was able to maneuver block weighing 5 to 20 to 40 tons? Bullshit! Not to mention the "laser straight" cuts on all the original blocks. Those original structures have been there WAYYY longer and got repurposed by the local indigenous people. The is OBVIOUSLY 2 forms of building in that area. C'mon, dude!

[@Merovigne]

Definitely 2 different civilization. Stone work is Not even close to similiar.

[@loveandbarley]

yes i do this all the time

[@danseng3747]

@@loveandbarley 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤙

[@ryanolson9413]

Why is everything ceremonial and spiritual? What did any ancient people do that was real? Those buildings operated. They are machines. Stop lying

[@pyramidreview8664]

Besides religion they were also often busy with agriculture, mathematics, commerce, medicine, crafts, industry and manufacturing, engineering, architecture, war, education, land and water management, artwork, cuisine, forestry, and music and poetry, just to name a few things.