One of the curiosities of Monte Alban is a series of stone carvings showing people in odd poses. There are about 140 of these carvings, which are generally referred to as "The Dancers." No one knows exactly what they represent. One theory is that they are indeed dancers; another is that they show prisoners in various states of ritual dismemberment. One fellow thinks they might have been medical diagrams. The ones on display are copies; the originals are in the small museum.

We were told that the thick lips and wide noses of some of the characters were distinctly Olmec. The Olmecs were a civilization from the Gulf Coast of Mexico that had its heyday about 1000 B.C., but which left a lasting influence throughout Mesoamerica on the civilizations that were to follow.

A lot of the figures seem to show some anatomical anomaly in the groin, including wavy lines. As it was explained to us, the last figure might be showing a breech birth. But no one knows.