Zapochteca

The Zapochteca, known to the Nahuatl as the Zapotecs and to themselves as Be'ena'a, the cloud people, built one of Mesoamerica's earliest urban civilizations in the valleys of Oaxaca from about 700 BC. Their capital Monte Albán, founded around 500 BC, grew into the greatest city of the southern highlands; its Building J bore glyphs naming conquered provinces.

After Monte Albán declined around 700, power passed to Zaachila, whose kings fought the Mixtecs and grew rich on salt, goldwork and cochineal. The armies of the Aztec tlatoani Ahuitzotl took Zaachila in 1495 and besieged Guiengola for seven months in 1497, until King Cosijoeza sealed peace by marrying Ahuitzotl's daughter.

Their son Cosijopii, the last Zaachila sovereign, allied with Pedro de Alvarado when the Spanish reached Tehuantepec, accepted baptism as Juan Cortés Sicasibí, and built the Santo Domingo convent between 1543 and 1555.