Copán, Copán, Honduras
Breakfast at 7 am was back at Via Via where the previous night we had pre-ordered our buffet breakfast for L 95 / NZ $ 5.60 / US $ 4.60. Cereal, fruit, toast, cheese, pancake, French toast, scrambled eggs, juice and coffee ... Yes all for L 95!
The morning had broken with wet streets as we left at 8 am for our 2 hour guided walk with local guide Saul.
Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It was the capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD. The city was located in the extreme southeast of the Mesoamerican cultural region, on the frontier with the Isthmo-Colombian cultural region, and was almost surrounded by non-Maya peoples. In this fertile valley now lies a city of about 3000, a small airport, and a winding road.
Copán was occupied for more than two thousand years, from the Early Preclassic period right through to the Postclassic. The city developed a distinctive sculptural style within the tradition of the lowland Maya, perhaps to emphasize the Maya ethnicity of the city's rulers.
The city has a historical record that spans the greater part of the Classic period and has been reconstructed in detail by archaeologists and epigraphers. Copán, probably called Oxwitik by the Maya, was a powerful city ruling a vast kingdom within the southern Maya area. The city suffered a major political disaster in AD 738 when Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, one of the greatest kings in Copán's dynastic history, was captured and executed by his former vassal, the king of Quiriguá. This unexpected defeat resulted in a 17-year hiatus at the city, during which time Copán may have been subject to Quiriguá in a reversal of fortunes.
A significant portion of the eastern side of the acropolis has been eroded away by the Copán River, although the river has since been diverted in order to protect the site from further damage. Thanks Mr Wikipedia.
Will probably add in a bit more once at home after I have labelled and grouped the photos a bit better.
This Copan site was really compact. The only difference with the other sites that we have seen was this is where is this spectacular staircase. It has the longest pre-Columbian with over 2,000 hieroglyphic inscriptions on 63 steps in America. One of the most remarkable Mayan monuments built during the classic period.
This was the last of the Mayan ruins on this trip. Having seen several and certainly all of the major ones on this trip, I am amazed at the engineering used and also wonder what happened to the demise of this civilisation.
Copan ruins
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Copán, Copán, Honduras
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Comments
2025-05-22
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Lucia Rogers
2013-12-24
It is Christmas Day in New Zealand, we are picking up Kevin's daughter and her boyfriend from the airport so they can spend the next two weeks with us at Marine Parade. It is nice to see your photograph amongst all the pictures of scenery and sights!