"The site of Copan: AN EXAMPLE OF MAYA ARCHITECTURE"

NAME
IVAN DIAZ LON Evelynn TABOADA Huaman
Ciudad Universitaria, July 2003
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL MAYOR DE SAN MARCOS
(University of Peru, DEAN OF AMERICA)
SAN MARCOS, UNIVERSITY OPEN TO THE FUTURE
SOCIAL SCIENCES FACULTY
INTRODUCTION
This paper is based on Maya architecture, specifically the architecture of Copan
, which we compare with other areas of the Maya area. The Maya were a group of i
ndigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the western part of Central A
merica in the Mexican states of Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo (Yucatan Peninsu
la), Tabasco and eastern Chiapas, in most of Guatemala and in parts of Belize an
d Honduras, including area in Mesoamerica. The Maya do not form a homogeneous cu
lture, as different groups, apparently a total of 28, had their own language, bu
t all share the economic, artistic, religious and intellectual. From a historica
l standpoint, the Mayan civilization consists of three periods: the Preclassic o
r Formative period, which began at least 1500 BC, the classical period, which la
sted between 300 and 900 AD, and the Post-Classic period, from 900 until the arr
ival of the Spanish in the early sixteenth century. They are divided in turn int
o Old, Middle and recent, and there are other additional subdivisions as protocl
assic, classic late or protohistoric. During the pre-classic, the Pacific coast
and the highlands heritage developed Olmec contacts between the two cultures is
evident in the construction of large buildings at the beginning of its history.
However, it was in the classic period when he began the splendor and progress of
this civilization. Great ceremonial centers were built as Uaxactún and Tikal (P
eten, Guatemala) and the Maya extended their influence by the central and southe
rn lowlands, where they built cities like Palenque and Yaxchilan (Chiapas, Mexic
o), Quirigua (Guatemala) and Copán (Honduras .) These sites were abandoned for r
easons still unproven in the mid-ninth century, although it is believed that the
y were cultural factors: risk
severe famines, political fragmentation, disruption of trade networks, wars and
invasions. Some of its people migrated to northern Yucatan. Thus began the post
classic period, which from the eleventh century made this the influence of the T
oltecs, the migration of the Itza, from the Valley of Mexico, an influence that
would affect especially the great ritual center of Chichen Itza. By then consoli
dated Mayapán League, an alliance of the leaders of this city and those of Chich
en Itza and Uxmal, league dominate the Yucatan Peninsula for two centuries. For
a while peace was preserved, but after a period of civil war and revolution, cit
ies were again abandoned. All that remained was Mayapán, which continued to exer
t a clear hegemony over the small independent chiefdoms were formed. Agriculture
was the mainstay of the economy from pre-Columbian Maya and corn is the main cr
op. Its very archaic techniques combined with other forms elaborate, such as irr
igation, drainage or terracing. The Maya also cultivated cotton, beans, chile, t
omato, potato (sweet potato), cassava, cocoa and other edible species. The techn
iques of spinning cotton, wool and sisal (derived from cassava), as well as dyei
ng and weaving, achieved a high degree of perfection. The Maya were a very hiera
rchical society. They were governed by a political authority, the Halach Uinic,
the commander, whose dignity was hereditary in the male line, and the Ah Kin, th
e high priest. The supreme commander delegated authority over village communitie
s to local leaders or bataboob, farm foremen who met civil functions, military a
nd religious. The minimum unit of production was the peasant family, he grew a c
ornfield, plot cleared without deforestation, as trees for the Maya, especially
the ceiba, were sacred. With regard to architecture. The Mayan culture produced
a monumental architecture, which are preserved ruins in Palenque, Uxmal, Mayapán
, Tikal, Uaxactún, Quirigua, Bonampak, Chichen Itza and Copan (in which this wor
k is based), among others.
AREA MAYA Maya Culture southeastern territory covered what is now the Mexican Re
public, and which corresponds today to the Mexican states of Yucatan, Campeche,
Quintana Roo, much of Tabasco, Chiapas half and the Republic of Guatemala , Beli
ze and the western reaches of Honduras and El Salvador, and covers an area of 32
5,000 to 400, 000 km2,€taking Limit the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, the oc
ean Pacíficxo the Grijalva River (known in Guatemala as the Rio Usumacinta), in
the state of Tabasco and the Ulua River in Honduras and the Lempa River in El Sa
lvador today. Its geographical features to determine three major areas or natura
l areas: southern or northern, central and north or south, which offers historic
al and cultural development marked differences, in part due to the geographical
factor. ● Zona Norte or Northern Area covers the northern half of the Yucatan Pe
ninsula, ie the state of the same name and most of Campeche and Quintana Roo. Th
e lowlands are traversed from west to east by ranges of hills. Only three small
rivers run through it: Champotón, Lizards and Sela, has few lakes and ponds. Rai
nfall is low and due to the porous texture of the soil, water accumulates and th
e subsoil, forming so-called cenotes. The topsoil is very narrow and the rock ou
tcrops frequently, which limits the possibilities of the peninsula is semi-arid
landscape. The fauna and flora are abundant and varied Jan central area, the for
est, lower and less dense, chaparral becomes in the far north. They are
Some cats, deer, wild boar, small mammals, birds and reptiles abound bees. ● Cen
tral Area and Central Area includes the north of Guatemala, part of Tabasco, sou
thern Campeche and Quintana Roo, Belize and western Honduras, and covers the nor
thern slopes of the highlands and lowlands crisscrossed by chains of hills. The
cross numerous rivers:; Usumacinta and its tributaries (Salinas Chixoy, Passion,
Lacantún, San Pedro), Grijalva, Candelaria, Hondo and Motagua. Besides numerous
lakes, ponds and wetlands complete their hydrography. Rainfall is high, reachin
g almost four meters in certain regions. The climate is extremely hot and humid.
Much of the area is covered by high forest, composed mainly of mahogany, cedar,
sapodilla, ceiba, Ramon and many palms. The soil is fertile and conducive to th
e cultivation, except in the savannas. Wildlife abounds in cats, deer, wild boar
s, monkeys and birds such as pheasants, turkeys mount, macaws and parrots, many
poisonous snakes, wild bees and many insects, many of them harmful.
● South Zone or South Zone's are the highlands of Guatemala and El Salvador and
the Pacific coast. Los Altos enjoy a temperate climate in summer, cold and dry i
n winter, with long rainy season. Its vegetation includes coniferous forests and
pastures in the mountains, cereals, vegetables and fruit in the valleys and pla
teaus. Large rivers originate in the area (Usumacinta, Motagua) and are the vast
lakes of Atitlán and Amatitlán. The coast forms the 50km-wide strip of a maximu
m of lowlands with excessively hot and humid climate and tropical vegetation. Am
ong the animals living in
these regions will remember the jaguar, ocelot, puma, deer, rabbits, many birds
(among which the quetzal), snakes, etc.. The highlands abound in minerals, some
of which were used in ancient times (jadeite, iron pyrites, hematite, cinnabar),
the volcanic nature of the Maya Mountains provided lava, tuff, obsidian and ash
.
MAYA ARCHITECTURE planning Maya ceremonial centers, followed the topography and
soil conditions, which determined the different forms and structures of building
s. Mayan architecture part of the general characteristics of American cultures,
but had special arrangements, including their own style (the "false arch" Maya v
ault, crests, stelae and altars. There were several architectural styles as the
"style Peten Uxmal, 'style Usumacinta "at Palenque, Uxmal Puuc style, among othe
rs. And there was also another very valuable detail, the integrated wall-paintin
g to architecture. Then, the Mayan culture was a monumental architecture, the th
at remain large ruins in Palenque, Uxmal, Tikal, Quirigua, Tajin, Copan, among o
thers.
TYPES AND ELEMENTS OF THE MAYA ARCHITECTURE ● ceremonial platforms: low rise (ma
ximum quarter meters), the sides were carved figures. Scenarios public ceremonie
s, at the top had altars, flags, incense burners, and sometimes a tzompantli: ro
w of poles with skulls strung.
Uxmal, Mexico
Chichen Itza, Mexico
Chichen Itza, Mexico
● Pyramids: Overlay multiple platforms, never culminate in a truly geometric pyr
amidal volume. It serves as a base for the temple, as close as possible to heave
n€but also had a funerary function secondary in importance. The Mayans used to e
xpand their buildings every few minutes. Thus, these structures were made on pre
vious constructions, which are left as is in the interior of the new. The pyrami
ds are composed of stepped foundations (often nine) and a central staircase that
leads to a temple on the top platform.
Coba, Mexico
Uxmal, Mexico
● Temple: The temple is quadrangular, with vertical walls, three or five innings
that lead to more or more parts, either directly, or a porch step, when there a
re multiple doors. Entries are closed by Cortinal or mats inside tied to a ring
embedded, three on each side of the entrance. The churches have no windows, but
in some cases may be rectangular shaped openings or imitating the sign IK, which
means air. The space inside the temple varies greatly from Petén tiny shrines t
o the bigger picture of Palenque. In the temples were made rituals for the gods.
They abound on pyramids and exterior decoration. They had inner tubes and a san
ctuary and altar. In some cases, there are murals and carved stone panels.
Palenque, Mexico
● Palacios: Alone or in groups, are located on platforms inside the ceremonial c
enters. They have smooth walls, decorated with friezes. The many internal chambe
rs served as a room for the ruling class. ● Vault maya: It has been named as fal
se, or simply Maya bay, the closer the walls is made from a certain height (just
above the lintel of the door), overlapping the rows of stones so that each spun
out from the immediately below, until leaving in a short top that closed with a
small slab (get photos of Maya vault). The factor that allowed the operation of
this type of vault was the knowledge of lime mortar used in the walls, which ga
ve cohesion to the nucleus and allow the adhesion of the stones of the parameter
. The roof thus obtained was similar to that inside the hut and determined a cro
ss section in a triangle or trapezoid. The drawback was that only allowed roof c
rawl spaces, as for parts of greater width, the height necessary to ensure stabi
lity of the vault had been excessive. However it is done in some exceptional cas
es, as in the burial chamber of the Temple of Inscriptions. So the Maya vault ro
ofed tombs, chambers and other facilities. It grew with successive rows of stone
s projecting, overlapping another stone at the top as a lid. It is called false
arch because it works as a wedge, as the keystone Ruggedized not the structure,
the Maya were able to develop large clear inside their temples. There Maya arche
s as the culmination of a sacbé (white road) and passages through buildings.
● Wakes: They are monuments of stone carved in low relief and usually placed sin
gly or in groups, in large squares in front of pyramids. Usually, in the wake is
the figure of a monarch, hieroglyphics alluding to him and his dynasty, and com
putations of the time, in connection with the latter being a reference start Cal
endar and ends up being a work of art. In the beginning the trail would not be a
"marker." Its function is to serve as a log book and its main aim to score a da
te. The numeral, gradually became poetic glyph. From the third century C., stela
e appear to coincide with religious pomp made in each "period" calendar of today
can reform chronologies and historical levels of Mayan Culture. The stelae were
erected each given cycle of years and have been very useful for dating the hist
ory of that place up. Usually were carved on one side and sometimes on the sides
there are cases, such as Copan and Quirigua, which are large (up to four meters
high), fully worked, becoming real sculptures.
● Ball Games: Game of cosmic significance. The course is at the center, with sid
e slopes that end in a wall: there are the rings where he should pass the ball.
Upstairs there are platforms for the public and ceremonial temples. Ball games,
the largest reported to date is that of Chichen Itza (has 13), was a sacred even
t, with a strong sense of religion, mythology and symbolic, which apparently opp
osite but complementary forces faced as the day and night, good and evil, gods o
f the east and west, and so on.
● Observatories: These buildings were used as observation platforms stellar. Som
etimes€also fulfilled an astronomical markers, in which case they were aligned w
ith another marker.
● Altars: These stone monuments carved stelae are associated both and open space
s and inside the temples. They are of different shapes and sizes and contain inf
ormation of historical fact and mythology. In some cases, also served as a thron
e for the king. ● Crests: elements of Mayan architecture, which consists of a hi
gh building located on the roof of the temple, which emphasizes the verticality
of the whole pyramid-temple and the idea of approaching the sky. The crest was a
pplied most of the symbolic decorations. ● Glyph: ornament that frames an ideogr
am created with the greatest neatness. It gave emblem glyph name signs in the in
scriptions included in the impossibility of defining more precisely its real sig
nificance. Were interpreted as nominal glyphs which are registered in the sides
of the sarcophagus of Palenque, with human representations involving the relativ
es of the buried person. The glyphs were used to designate the name, tutelary de
ity of the site, dynasty or something that serious. There were also certain glyp
hs related to the lives of several leaders of the cities: birth, capture and sac
rifice and character names as well as rise to power, lineage potential alliances
, marriages, mention of ancestors and descendants. ● Mural painting: There are m
any Mayan temples decorated with murals. The most significant are in Uaxactun Mu
lchic, Chichen Itza, Tulum and Bonampak, the latter being the more refined and q
uality.
They are painted with the fresco technique, using it a rich color palette of min
eral and vegetable, which due to its light highlights the "Maya blue", similar t
o turquoise. In general, the murals depict scenes are warriors and ceremonial an
d invaluable source of information about rituals, costumes and related paraphern
alia vast nobility. There are also characters that identify themselves as rulers
. ● Orientation: The orientation of the buildings in the area of the Maya during
the classic period, tends to coincide with the cardinal points. ● Red Hands: In
some Mayan temples these hands are full size, alone or in groups and painted on
the walls. They have been called Kab-ul, the heavenly hand, creative and miracu
lous, attributed to Itzamná, Lord of heaven and king of the gods. ● Dongs: Its s
ymbolism is associated with human fertility rites and fertilization of the mothe
r earth. Not be common, they have been found in the region Puuc and Chichen Itza
. They are stone sculptures, built-in internal walls of temples, or standing in
areas exteriores.En "The house of the phallus" of Chichen Itza, are circumcised,
so some researchers thought that the ancient Maya were the lost tribe of Israel
. ● Chac Mool: It is believed that these enigmatic figures in impossible positi
on (since the break up of the back is not natural), held in his hands any object
or offering. They have been found mainly in Chichen Itza, to be originating in
the Toltec culture, which came from the Mexican plateau to the Maya during the P
ostclassic (900-1500).
● Other: The Maya also built chultunes (underground reservoirs to store rain wat
er) and steam bath ritual cleansing and medicinal use. There were also, drainage
systems and the sacbes are notorious, well-planned roads and compacted, at time
s, to save high-flood areas, with shrines in
several sections. During the Postclassic (900-1500) were erected defensive walls
and ditches, and fences that marked the housing estates. In funerary constructi
ons, from simple burials were up tombs for the ruling class.
SITE AND ARCHITECTURE OF COPAN More than one hundred years of archaeological inv
estigations have revealed that the ruins that sit alongside the River Copan corr
espond to the political and religious capital of an important kingdom that laste
d many centuries before its decline over a thousand years ago . Researchers who
have worked in the Copan Valley from the beginning realized that the lofty Acrop
olis was not only one of the sites most spectacular architecture and sculpture o
f the city, but also the headquarters of the ruling power of the kingdom of Copá
n during the culmination Classic Maya period, between 400 and 850 AD (not a cons
ensus on the date). The rulers of the Classic Period of Copan claimed to be desc
endants of the Sun and exercised their power based on this law. Warred, traded,€
entrusted monuments to his glory and lineage, and presided or kingdom of nearly
20 000 subjects, among whom were from farmers living in houses of sticks and str
aw, to an elite that held the monumental palaces near the Acropolis. It is clear
that some households prospered valley to domestic industries, which produced sp
ecial mills for corn, obsidian knives and shell ornaments. Various rituals, incl
uding ceremonial ball game, were held in a courtyard for this purpose, but priva
te royal ceremonies to worship ancestors and have visions, accompanied by offeri
ngs of blood or hallucinogen, "were made in the security of secret courtyards an
d rooms located at the top of the Acropolis. Depending on the time, the neighbor
ing kingdoms were attacked to obtain prisoners for public ritual of humiliation,
or as partners in tasks advantageous diplomatic and royal marriages.
More than a century ago, explorers first encountered with downed monoliths and s
teep hills, almost hidden by the dense jungle of western Honduras. When you clea
r the vegetation were exposed huge pyramidal structures, some of which was recor
ded with mysterious drawings. The monoliths, which were straight, were covered w
ith intricate sculptures of plot, of a quality never seen before in the Americas
. The discovery of these piles of stone that had stood for a millennium to the c
reeping shadow of huge trees, has created an enduring fascination for the people
who built them. Currently, a tenacious investigative work is bringing to light
the ancient Maya who were left so outstanding art exhibits. The Mayan culture, w
hich appeared circa 2000 BC, lasted for heterogeneous land now known as Belize,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and southern Mexico. For centuries, was one of
the most advanced civilizations of antiquity. Historians believed that large cit
ies such as Copan were ceremonial centers where only priests lived, while the re
st of the population lived in small towns and would visit temples only during so
lemn celebrations. The complicated hieroglyphic texts were supposed to be astron
omical predictions and believed that the human figures representing gods. But in
recent decades, progress in deciphering have changed that view. Today we know t
hat the Scripture speaks of important historical events and, above all, the life
and deeds of the kings whose portrait is carved on the stelae. This new way of
seeing clearly is found in the Altar Q, located in the western courtyard of the
Acropolis of Copan. This huge square block of stone has carved seated 16 men (fo
ur per side). At first, the archaeologist Joseph Herbert Spinden thought it was
a meeting of Maya astronomers. However, recent findings indicate that the figure
s represent members of a sixteen-dynasty kings, whose rule spanned nearly four c
enturies between 426 and 820, approximately AD, ie during the Classic period (25
0-900 AD).
We know little of the previous installment of this dynastic sequence, since the
information was lost by the Maya practice may demolish the old buildings and bui
ld new ones on them. Copan have been discovered in eight of these temples, each
built on the ruins of precedent. It is now known, however, that to the 426 d.C.
ruled the revered King Yax Kuk Mo (Quetzal Macaw), as referred monuments erected
centuries later, followed dieceséis of their descendants. The race concludes wi
th the death of Yax Pac, or First Dawn, who built the Altar Q. The stelae, as we
ll as most other sculptures and buildings were erected to commemorate the reigns
of these monarchs. The entrance to the archaeological park is carried out using
a long tree-lined promenade, which leads to the Great Plaza, grassy esplanade i
n the center of a pyramid and several high wakes. Most of the hieroglyphs and sc
ulptures of the stelae and altars refers to 18-Rabbit, one of the most important
of Copan. Copan can boast, in addition, have worked longer text of America: the
famous Hieroglyphic Stairway. Many steps have been dropped and only a portion o
f the more than 250 thousand carved stone blocks were found in their original or
der. But it has managed to order enough to know that the staircase was built by
Smoke Shell in order to commemorate the lives of their ancestors. The real power
center, the Acropolis,€is a voluminous set of pyramid structures in which there
is a wealth of information about Copán. This is where you are conducting the cu
rrent study. Here, the substructure discovered more impressive is the Temple Ros
alila. Below is the Temple Margarita, rich source of data on the enigmatic early
years of the Copan dynasty. A good distance from the Gran Plaza and the Acropol
is is the residential area of the graves. Excavations carried out in these build
ings have little appeal
provided details about the domestic life of the inhabitants, moreover, is eviden
ce that the site was occupied for about two thousand years. Just as the Maya enj
oy a prominent place among the civilizations of the past, Copan corresponds one
of the first places among the Mayan city-states, given the huge scientific effor
t to uncover secrets buried so long. Copan Project, collaboration between the Ho
nduran Institute of Archaeology and History (IHAH) and specialists from various
institutions and nations, began in 1978. It is a brilliant example of a new mult
idisciplinary research to proceed, that Richard Agurcia called "holistic approac
h." Come together here as diverse fields as linguistics, social anthropology, ar
t, ethnohistory and ecology, in addition to archeology, to get from Copan more a
ccurate historical perspective could be that the simple gathering of excavation
and cataloging. The Museum of Sculpture of Copan is a new annex to the scene and
another example of this way of seeing things. Under the leadership of a noted a
rchaeologist Barbara Fash, provides an impressive way of looking at Copán. It pe
netrates through the open jaws of a snake and is followed by a long, dark and wi
nding tunnel, which represents both the tunnels inside the Acropolis, as a symbo
lic journey to Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. On turning the last corner of the
tunnel, a replica is the imposing, four stories tall, the temple Rosalila. Resea
rchers have collected a vast amount of data, among these, highlights some regard
ing the fall of Copan. In this regard, abundant evidence to link population grow
th to deforestation, soil erosion, climate change and general environmental degr
adation. The skeletal remains for the final years of Copán show that the populat
ion suffered from malnutrition and disease. The once fertile valley at some poin
t could not resist, it seems, the continued exploitation. Archaeologists have tr
aced a
wonderful picture of Copan in its splendor, but perhaps investigations into the
collapse of this great society will be more valuable, at least, if we apply thos
e lessons now fallen kings. There were two types of architecture at Copan:
● For the people, sticks and straw houses of farmers. ● For the nobility, secret
courtyards and rooms located at the top of the Acropolis.
But we will focus on the architecture designed for the elite, which consists of:
1. The game Pelota1: Located on one side of the Great Plaza and is considered t
he social center of the city, with markers in the form of macaw head, located on
the sloping walls. The last modification and construction that occurred in this
group was in the days of King 18 Rabbit. 2. La Gran Plaza: It is approximately
75 m2. It is open on three sides, surrounded by rows of stone seats, with stelae
and altars (many of these altars have zoomorphic form) that are decorated. Most
trails in this square were consecrated during the reign of King thirteenth Copa
n, 18 Rabbit between 711 and 736. This square is characterized by a pyramid of s
acrifice to center. 3. The Hieroglyphic Stairway: Located between the Court of t
he ball and Structure 11, 95 meters long and 38 wide. This great temple contains
the longest text that gave us the great Mayan civilization. The temple was buil
t during the reign of the ruling # 15, known as Smoke Shell, and is believed to
be a sort of family tree of the Copan dynasty, founded by Yax-Kuk-Mo. The five s
tatues located on the steps represent five kings before Smoke Shell. Unfortunate
ly, it was not possible to read the glyphs, as they had fallen much of the stand
s, and
1
The ball game was part of a ritual where the losers lost their lives.
rebuild the temple, they were outside their original place, creating a "soup of
glyphs." 4. The Popol Na, or House of Mats: It stands near a corner of the Orien
tal Plaza. Recent research in the area,€led by the artist and archaeologist Barb
ara Fash, suggest that power derived from the founder began to weaken after the
capture and sacrifice of the thirteenth ruler of Copán, who fell into the hands
of the king of a city-state rival in the year 738. By the time of Pasah Yax, a q
uarter of a century later, the power of the rulers of Copan was lost. You may gl
yphic emblems of the House of Mats, interspersed with the reasons for the mats t
hat give their name to the building, represent lineages from outside the area of
the Acropolis, which suggests that the building served as house counsel for all
noble representatives of the street that helped the last three leaders to fulfi
ll the tasks of government. 5. The Acropolis of Copán2. This rises to a height o
f almost 30 meters above the river that forms the valley. Rectangular in shape a
nd oriented north-south building contains approximately two million cubic meters
of fill, although in the past its dimensions were higher. Because, once the May
a abandoned the city, around 900 AD, the stone buildings gradually fell to ruin
thresholds and dragging vaults collapsed walls and entire buildings, many of who
m slipped away into the River, whose basin, over time has eroded the eastern edg
e of the Acropolis. The Acropolis consists of pyramids and temples and has compo
nents, such as two places: the East and West, as well as Structure 11 and Struct
ure 22 and the Altar Q: a. Oriental Plaza: Access to the plaza is extremely limi
ted. To the west of this square are the stairs of the Jaguars.
2
It has been built on old structures and suffered constant remodeling.
The Plaza This can be divided into: • Structure and Its Neighbors 22 .- Which ar
e probably the most important of the Plaza. Then there are passages imbued throu
gh and beyond the structure 18. Fifteen great steps guide the seventh rung view
main structure 22. It shares qualities with the structure 11 but is more private
. The structure 22 is held mandates of the rulers. The facade was a huge mouth o
f a monster. The remains of the lower jaw are in situ, presenting a clear row of
teeth. Entering the mouth of the monster, you can go coming to earth. Inside is
 a large door frame skeletons with a text and small skeletons score. Venus symbo
ls mark the front head, while a kin, or sol, make the sign of the last head, ind
icating the two most important heavenly bodies of the Maya. The imagery of Struc
ture 22 can be reconstructed: Outbreaks of maize gods Cauacs, two-dimensional ma
sks symbolizing earth and stone three dimensions giving half grown before the go
ds of corn. There are texts that refer to the last ruler, Yax Pac, the last glyp
h is an important verb. Indicating that there was a camera removed was a place o
f sacrifice, which sustained the Maya cosmos. What is elucidated by some of the
scenes of sacrifices that occur in the high chambers. • The Jaguars Stairs .- Tw
o jaguars rampant frame the low flight of seven steps, and the top flight of sev
en is divided by a head of Jaguar God of the Underworld, fixed against a great s
ymbol of Venus. Each jaguar body is composed of some blocks of mosaic, character
ized on the stairs. Around the holes indicate the placement of the old embedding
which Morley was obsidian. Although one can imagine the yellow glow of the Jagu
ars with Shines obsidian, a cautious examination of the sculpture shows traces o
f red, jade was probably embedded.
b. Plaza West: It can be divided: • Structure 11: Located at the northern edge o
f the Acropolis. It is believed to have had an astronomical function, and that t
hrough this structure could predict the duration of the intervals between the ec
lipses. • Altar Q: Is located in front of the Rosa Lila temple or Rosalia. The "
Altar Q" has been completely deciphered, and today we know that represents the 1
6 integrantes3 great dynasty of Copan, from Yax-Kuk-Mo to Yax-Pak, and that its
main purpose is to legitimize the right of Yax-Pac, direct heir to the throne Ya
xKuk-Mo Copan. At The Altar Q is made sacrifices of jaguars. 6. The temple 16 is
located between the two main squares, was erected before the year 800 by Yax Pa
sah (last ruler of the dynasty), who built his own pyramid, the highest of the A
cropolis. A very interesting aspect of this temple is that for some reason, the
former church was not "disabled" to build on it,€rather it was taken great care
not to damage the temple anterior4. The result is the Rosa Lila temple, also kno
wn as Temple of the Sun Rosalila The original building is still on the sacred ar
ea of the shaft, covered by structure 16. Anyone contemplating the majesty Rosal
ila in isolation, overlooking the Acropolis, would have immediately grasped its
message: it represented the founder himself, his divine and secular power line.
The building once served his political poster polychrome as sacred icon of the M
aya cosmos. Excavation work started in 1989 by Robert J. Sharett and David Sedat
, who initiated the drilling of the tunnel that runs just below the
At first it was thought that this was a meeting of astronomers Maya, but studies
showed that it is the members of the Copan dynasty which ruled between 426 to 8
20 AD
April 3
"There was almost no stones in the filling of earth covering the paintings," say
s [David Sedat]. "So we know that those who buried the structure, made with spec
ial care. That is why the excellent preservation. " At National Geographic Vol.
1 No. 2. December 1997 edition.
Oriental Plaza, next to the building Rosalia. One of the initial discoveries was
a huge stone, carved with hieroglyphs and immaculate condition, which was unear
thed at the base of a masonry wall. The translation of hieroglyphics, as Linda S
chele, was "the house of mourning lord of Copan." He also mentioned the founder
and his son. What for Sharer's message is clear: "the remains of the founder and
buildings lying below the center of the Acropolis." CONCLUSIONS: • The importan
ce of Copan for archeology is now known to most of the classic early. Since almo
st everything that was known of the Mayan civilization came from the late classi
cal period, around 600 • Copán was a settlement of the Mayan culture advanced, C
opán sent goods, people and ideas from the borders toward the center of the Maya
n country and beyond. The experts discuss the nature of their contacts with the
outside, but Copán, which adopted styles from distant places like Teotihuacan, a
city does not appear to be subjugated. • Copan as a Classic Maya center is idio
syncratic in several ways, but in their accounts of the traditions of elite clea
rly shown as a large sphere of Maya culture. But our conviction is that this sho
uld have somehow a reflection of its position on the southeastern side of the Ma
ya area. We must bear in mind that the whole idea of "civilization Maya" is real
ly a kind of polyglot concept attractive to us because our propensity to focus t
he unification of the features developed quite different from each other. No dou
bt many more polies in the Maya Lowlands may appear, once its archaeological seq
uences are fully known, as distinctive in their own ways, such as Copan. • The r
ich ornamental architecture and sculpture of Copan reveal a large agreement abou
t the role, timing, and significance of individual structures and Main Acropolis
as a Whole. The sculpture and paintings for other contexts Maya
indicate the significance of some of the settings of Copan, and instead, the str
uctures of Copan explains the architecture of ritual contexts registered in othe
r Maya cities. Significantly, the Principal Acropolis has a special relationship
with the rest of Copán and its surrounding geographical features, that same ori
entation is also an indication of how its former inhabitants were the large comp
lex.
REFERENCES MILLER, Mary Ellen 1988 The Meaning and Function of the Main Acropoli
s, Copan. In The Southeast Classic Maya Zone, edited by Elizabeth Hill Boone and
Gordon R. Willey, pp. 149-189 RAMIREZ, Reynol 1981 A Special Collection of Arch
aeology Columbian Mexico. In Geomundo Magazine. Ed Picks Peru, pp.500-521 STUART
, George 1997 The Royal Crypts of Copan. At National Geographic in Spanish. Vol
1. No. 2. December 1997, pp.68-93 2004 The Mystery Maya. In The National World G
ographic. Ed EPENSA, Ojo Journal, pp. 4-10 WEBSTER, David 1988 Copan as a Classi
c Maya Center. In The Southeast Classic Maya Zone, edited by Elizabeth Hill Boon
e and Gordon R. Willey, pp. 5-27