Finally, Monte Albán is famous for its rich series of tombs. Unfortunately, most of them are not open to the public. The tombs had a rectangular or cross-shaped layout, some were decorated with mural paintings, stucco, and carved stone slabs. Funerary urns, usually representing the Zapotec maize or rain god, were located into niches. The most famous is Tomb 7, where in 1932 the archaeologist Alfonso Caso discovered one of the richest burial offering of the Americas.
Another series of noble tombs are located on the nortnwestern corner of the North Platform (Tomb 103, 104, 105), under the patio floor. Many noble residence were actually constructed after the construction of the tomb where the family head rested. In this way, members of the family could periodically visit their ancestors. Ancestor veneration was an important ritual not only among nobility but among commoners as well.
Sources
Joyce, Arthur A., 2010, Mixtecs, Zapotecs and Chatinos: Ancient peoples of Southern Mexico. Wiley Blackwell.
Marcus, Joyce, 2008, Monte Albán. El Colegio de Mexico y Fondo de Cultura Economica