Copán: Maya -Ruinen in Honduras (2023)

Copán is an old manmayaThe city in Honduras Western modern. It was governed by a dynasty of 16 king between approximately the announcement 426 and 820.

The old name of the city was possibly Oxwitik and its official batting in the form of a city."Acropolis" to the south.

The city on the outskirts of Southeast -Maia was saved part of the war, which is captured and sacrificed to its largest and local neighbors.

The city was one of the most densely populated in the Mayan world, and its people built large monuments and sculptures from a greenish volcano's toba. It has more than 2,000 glyphs decorated with a 63 -alos flight, the largest Mayan registration greater thanIt is known.

Since "most of them were found in extremely confusing conditions, it is anything but easy to rebuild," writes Michael Coe, professor at Yale University in his book "The Maya" (Thames and Hudson, 2011). Of rulers rulers.

Another evidence of the history of Copán comes from its numerous steles and altars.yax Pasah, the last king of the city, built an important monument, which was called "Altar Q", the last king of the city, and told about the 15rulers who came before him. Swat to Yax Pasah, who receives the bat (or scepter) from the position of the first king of Copán, a venerated man named K'inich Yax K'uk mo '.

The origins of a dynasty

Rey a Aratons YXK to.

Archaeologists have discovered what they think for their grave under the pyramid of the "Temple 16" (as the researchers call it). The grave contains the remains of an adult man in a funeral industry, which is accompanied by Jade offers, Shell, Shell,Ceramics and Bone of Jade, Ceramics and Work, "writes a team of researchers in an article that in the book" Early Copán speech speech "(University of Pennsylvaniamuseuse of Archeology and Anthropology, 2004).

You write that the man was between 55 and 70 when he died, and COE could represent a cityTikal.

Not far is another grave that contains the 50 -year -old remains, possibly his wife. In addition to a variety of offers, "the skeleton has been integrated into large amounts of tinor with a solution, "writes the research team. COE points out that the isotope tests carried out in the remains indicate that the woman comes from the region.

The collection of these research results is created by a person from another city (perhaps Tikal) who arrives in Copán, married a prominent local woman and can find a dominant dynasty.TeotihuacanA city that is almost 700 miles (1,200 kilometers) in the northwest, indicating influence from there.

The archeology also shows that the construction in the Copan Town center increased at the time when K'inich Yax K'uk Mo 'King. Another team of researchers: "With the beginning of the monumental building under the acropolis in approximately 400 AD,We left an article that was published in the book "Copán: History of an ancient Mayan Kingdom" (2005). A time of deforestation could coincide with this boom of the building.

The successors of K'inich Yax K'uk mo 'included several short rulers, indicating that the kings may have spent among the brothers, at least in the first days of Copan.

center

The city center has changed in the next 400 years, adding, renewing and building structures.

Greater Plaza would have a great of a kingdom of Maya King "(Harcourt Brace Company, 2000) during special events.

The construction of the Temple of the hieroglyphic leaders was initiated by the 13th Copán ruler (which was captured and sacrificed) and completed by the 15, a ruler called "smoke", who rose to the throne in 749 d.C.bilingual. ", One Mayan part and the other a corresponding text in which a local artist must imagine being the Teotihuacan hieroglyphs."

Copan also included a ball court that was redesigned over time, the final form with "spike sculptures in the form of ark heads as markers," writes coe..

Another key structure, which was also created by the unfortunate 13th rulingSince the end of the 19th century. "This research suggests that it was used by Copan's rulers as the throne room." Here the ruler was transformed and then inhabited as a deity, "he writes in a 2005 report.

Where there was a real throne room, there was a real residence. In the south of the acropolis there is a group of buildings to which archaeologists are called "10l-2" and "after about 600 Dc. Frant and Gonlin in their book.

FIND COPANS

The last king of Copán was Yax Pasah, the 763 AD.And he ruled until the ninth century when the city was increasingGonlin

"However, none could avoid the abrupt end of the dynastic rule, which was pointed out by the last incomplete real monument, 822 AD" in the following centuries, Copan became a discussion for reasons, of which academics are still arguing.

Copan was not alone in his situation. Maya's worlds fell and a possibility is that it is bigDürre arrived at the MayaWebster, Franto and Gonlin also find that their studies show that the population of Copan Picos of 26,000 people may not have been sustainable, which forced interfaces to grow. Copan disappeared like many other Mayan cities.

rediscovered

After the Spaniards ended in the United States, there was an event that led the ruins to receive their modern names. “In 1530, a local chief named Copan Calel directed a revolt against the Spaniards; after the defeat, his name was madeFor ruins, "writes Webster, Franto and Gonlin.

The Spaniards took note of the old town, but it was only in the nineteenth century that it was completely investigated.In 1839, the explorer Frederick Catherwood designed detailed drawings from parts of the city, including an altar and a wake in the Große Praça de Copan.Copan details showed trees that grow under their ruins.

-Owen Jarus, Contributor to Livecience