Village and archaeological site, Oaxaca state, southern Mexico.
It lies at an elevation of 4,855 ft (1,480 m), surrounded by the mountains of the Sierra Madre del Sur. It was established as a sacred burial site by the Zapotec , who used it until с AD 900. The Mixtec moved down from northern Oaxaca sometime between 900 and 1500 and took possession of Mitla. The modern village, composed of thatched huts and adobe houses, serves as a base for the study of the ruins.