Maya Site of Copan, Honduras

The first humans to settle in the Copan Valley arrived around 1500 BC and are thought to have had links to Southern Mexico. A cemetery from that time has been discovered, as have pre-classic era sculptures, such as this one (pictured).

In 427, a noble Maya warlord called Yax Kuk Mo arrived at Copan, or OxWitik, as it was known in those times. He founded a dynasty of rulers that developed Copan into one of the major Maya cities of the Classic period. 

Altar Q commemorates the symbolic transfer of power from the founder of the dynasty, Yax Kuk Mo (centre left), to the sixteenth ruler, Yax Pasah (centre right). The other 14 kings are present as witnesses, seated around the sides of the monument in chronological order. 

The Margarita temple contained the body of the wife of Yax Kuk Mo. A kuk (quetzal) and a mo (scarlet macaw) are depicted on the façade. The necks of these two birds are intertwined, expressing the name Kuk-Mo, in reference to the husband of the lady who was buried within. 

A celestial bird with the figure of the sun in its mouth can be seen on the façade of the Rosalila temple, which was discovered in the Acropolis. The bird has features of both the quetzal and the scarlet macaw, again in reference to the name of the first ruler of Copan.

A temple which was discovered in the mountains celebrates the twelfth king. The puma heads that protrude from its façade, like most of the imagery relating to this king, point to a Central Mexican influence.

This stone censer has a lid which is in the form of a bat’s head. The lower part of the censer, which forms the body of the bat, is decorated with cacao pods. Copan was a producer of cacao seeds, and beverages made with cacao were among the favorites of the Maya elite.

The Bacabs, also known as Pauahtun, were four brothers who were believed to be holding up the sky, each one at a corner of the world. They are represented as old men, with water lilies tied to their foreheads.

For the Maya people, the scarlet macaw personified the sun and, in particular, the rainbow that linked the sun to the earth. There are 30 representations of the scarlet macaw in the Ball Court, demonstrating the close association of the Ball Game with the sun.

The jaguar, Balam, was a symbol of power which was connected with the underworld and personified the night sun. Rulers associated themselves with this revered animal, incorporating it into their name and wearing its pelt as clothing.

The Sculpture Museum contains reconstructions of the original façades of Copan’s temples along with a collection of its most valuable sculptures. The centerpiece of the museum is a full scale reproduction of the Rosalila temple.