The archaeology and iconography of Monte Alban's Mound

Abstract

This thesis, the result, in part, of a nine-month study during which I conducted fieldwork in Monte Alban and various museums and institutions both in the cities of Oaxaca and Mexico, examines the carved monuments with inscriptions and figurative representations associated with Mound J, one of the most characteristic buildings at the Main Plaza of the Monte Alban, an archaeological site in the outskirts of the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. One of the main objectives of this work has been the documentation of the archaeology of Mound J. The discovery, excavation and restoration of this structure are discussed in the first two chapters of this work. The other main goals, the identification, reproduction and interpretation of some aspects of the iconographic and hieroglyphic material found in some of the slabs associated with this structure, occupy the rest of this thesis. Classic interpretations are discussed together with new theories on the meaning and possible motifs from which certain iconographic elements may have originated.