Resisting an Expansionist State: An Ancient Case Study in Oaxaca, Mexico

Throughout history, resistance has been a dynamic force behind the emergence and expansion of states. This is true in both modern and ancient contexts. The Zapotec state, centered at Monte Albán in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, provides an example of one of the earliest cases. Beginning in approximately 500 BC, Monte Albán was founded amid conflict with other chiefdoms in the valley. As Monte Albán expanded, some communities joined willingly and others were conquered. Resistance from the nearby polity of San Martín Tilcajete spurred Monte Albán to expand beyond the valley in search of territory and tribute. Eventually Monte Albán defeated San Martín Tilcajete and made it an administrative center. But within a few centuries, a new community appeared on the nearby defensible mountainside at Jalieza. I conducted excavations at Jalieza to test whether it was a refuge of resistance tied to the earlier resistance at San Martín Tilcajete. The preliminary results show that Jalieza resurrected one of the key hallmarks of San Martín Tilcajete before it was conquered: its buildings’ “resistance orientation” of 17° east of magnetic north. This was in contrast to Monte Albán’s north-south orientation. This adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that the state may have fragmented centuries earlier than traditionally assumed. While many forces led to the collapse of expansionist states throughout history, resistance is likely a common underlying cause due to the nature of stitching together previously autonomous communities.