The
Oaxaca Valley is a geographic region located within the modern-day
State of Oaxaca in southern
Mexico. The valley, which is located within the
Sierra Madre Mountains, is shaped like a distorted and almost upside-down “Y,” with each of its arms bearing specific names: the northwestern
Etla arm, the central southern Valle Grande, and the
Tlacolula arm to the east. The Oaxaca Valley was home to the
Zapotec civilization, one of the earliest
complex societies in
Mesoamerica, and the later
Mixtec culture. A number of important and well-known
archaeological sites are found in the Oaxaca Valley, including
Monte Alban,
Mitla,
San José Mogote and
Yagul. Today, the capital of the state,
Oaxaca City, is located in the central portion of the valley.