Oaxaca Valley
Looking southwest over the site of Monte Alban. Situated on a mountaintop, Monte Alban overlooks much of the Oaxaca Valley.
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| Official name | Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca |
| Location | Mexico 
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| Coordinates | 16°57′03″N 96°25′16″W / 16.95083°N 96.42111°W |
| Criteria | Cultural: iii |
| Reference | 1352 |
| Inscription | 2010 (34th Session) |
 Location in Mexico
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The Central Valleys (Spanish: Valles Centrales) of Oaxaca, also simply known as the Oaxaca Valley, is a geographic region located within the modern-day state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. In an administrative context, it has been defined as comprising the districts of Etla, Centro, Zaachila, Zimatlán, Ocotlán, Tlacolula and Ejutla. 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.
The Zapotec dominated the valley and much of the Oaxacan highlands from the Early Formative through the end of the Classic period. They were succeeded by the Mixtec culture during the Postclassic period.
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