Zona Arqueológica de Atzompa

The Atzompa archaeological zone covers the top of Cerro El Bonete, a hill above the town of Santa María Atzompa about 4 km north of Monte Albán and within sight of it. INAH describes it as an enclave founded around AD 500 to house part of the Zapotec capital's growing population; it was occupied mainly in the Late Classic, roughly AD 650–900, and the city was abandoned at about the same time as Monte Albán. The name is usually translated from Nahuatl as "on the summit of the water".

The site was first explored in 1937 by Jorge Acosta, but serious work only began in 2007 with the archaeological project led by Nelly Robles García, and it opened to the public on 18 September 2012. Paths climb to three plazas (A, B and C) lined with temples, palaces and terraces, and to elite residences known as the Casa de los Altares, the Casa del Oriente and the Casa del Sur. Atzompa has three ball courts; the largest, about 45 m long and 22 m wide with niches at two corners, is the biggest of the six recorded in the Monte Albán area. Excavations have turned up tombs with urns showing Zapotec deities, offerings of urns and incense burners from about AD 600–650 in the Casa del Sur, and in Plaza C an adobe-and-stone kiln with large jars much like the ones Atzompa's potters still make.

Atzompa gets a fraction of Monte Albán's visitors, and INAH notes that it absorbs some of the crowds at Easter, during the Guelaguetza and at Day of the Dead. From the hilltop there are wide views across the Oaxaca valley to the northern mountains and back to Monte Albán. People from the town also use the access paths and green areas for walks and exercise, and the visit pairs naturally with the pottery workshops in Santa María Atzompa below.