5 of 14   Classic Period
	CLASSIC MONTE ALBAN A.D. 250-A.D. 700 onte Alban was the ceremonial center and fortress site of the Zapotecs and overlooked the Valley of Oaxaca. Evidence of a well-developed culture at Monte Alban can be traced as early as 900 B.C., though the Classic period is dated many centuries later. Some of the earliest known hieroglyphics in Mesoamerica have been found at Monte Alban. Zapotec architecture and ceramics during the Classic period were influenced by Teotihuacan culture.