COPAN
What distinguishes Copan from the verticality of
Tikal and the three-dimensional Stilas of Palenque is its statuary. Copan was considered the Paris of its day,
and very much like our Athens of Antiquity with its ever present story telling
in the form of hieroglyphics and large statues dedicated to kings and gods.
The Copan valley was nearly completely under water
at the time the Maya arrived in 426 AD.
Their predecessors, the Olmecs, had established a more limited presence
there as early as 1400 BC, but had not solved the problem of draining swamps
that Mayan engineers overcame later.
Five different layers of city reveal themselves amid 24 square
kilometers of ruin, only 25% of which has been excavated. There are over 4500 known mounds at
Copan. This number is known courtesy of
space assisted photo geographic mapping from NASA.
The population reached a total of 27,000 and the
city its zenith in 822 AD during the reign of its 16th (and last)
king, “The Rising Son,” Yas Pa Sa.
Notably, all citizens were capable of being seated at the same time for
ball games and sacrifices around modern stadium type stone seating which ringed
the Great Plaza of Copan.
The Spanish first discovered the site in 1576, more
than 750 years after it was abandoned by the Maya for – due once again – to environmental
abuse. Just as occurred at Palenque and
most major Mayan sites, nearby firewood had been denuded, resulting in a lack
of rainfall. Poor members of the city
attacked royalty as a result, since “the King had lost contact with the Gods.” The citizens of Tikal melted into the jungle
and were assimilated elsewhere.
The British appeared to study and document Palenque
in the 1830’s, taking with them several major Stilas and hieroglyphs (same as
they did for major frontispiece hieroglyphs at The Acropolis in Athens) which
reside today in the marvelous British Museum in London. Harvard University scholars followed in the
1890’s and the Carnegie Institute followed in the 1930’s. Restoration efforts by The Carnegie Institute
resulted in re-routing of the Copan River (which had cut away portions of the
city, revealing its five layers) and subsequently saving three major temples:
The Bat, The Monkey, and The Knife.
In 1952 the Honduran Institute of Anthropology added
protected site status to Copan.
Fittingly (although a bit late) it was later recognized as a Unesco
World Heritage site in 1980.
My guide, Juan Carlos Calderon, has been leading
visitors to Copan for over 25 years. He
first directs me to the Necropolis, a low-lying area previously covered with
jungle that served as the burial area for some lower Mayan royalty and classes
we would today consider rich. Common
Maya, on the other hand, were buried where they were born, lived and died:
either near, beside, under, or sometimes inside their dwelling place.
Next stop is The Acropolis: a name given by
archeologists (and not the Maya themselves) in recognition of the Greek meaning
of “High Place.” This is the most
elevated point in the city, and the site of its astronomical temple (The Temple
of The Inscriptions), built in 773 AD by Yas Pa Sa. It is also known as Temple 16, and is surrounded
by what is known as the Aquatic Plaza. For a sample of what this must have
looked like in its heyday, richly decorated and lit by the sun to highlight its
primary red coating, see Mel Gibson’s vivid movie, “Apocolypto.”
Our next stop is The Jaguar Plaza. This is the West Point of Copan, where
military training took place and warriors honed their military skills. It lies below Temple 16. The temple itself, and the plaza (while
impressive) are not nearly the size of their counterparts in Palenque or
Tikal. What IS impressive is underground
tunnels revealing one pyramid inside another in this sector. The Maya built to commemorate events. When a building had “run its time” or the
event it honored had past, they either dissembled the building and re-used the
materials, or built right over the top of it.
Here, at Rosalila
Temple (discovered in 1989), one can see parallel structures with an air
pocket perhaps four to six feet apart separating one pyramid from another. The previously existing Rosalila was left
intact and not added to, because it was considered the birthplace of maize –
sacred to the Maya as the seed of life itself.
Four other levels lay beneath the Rosalila, some dating back to the
Olmecs.
Nearby, as a visitor weaves both above and below
ground throughout and under the Temple of The Inscriptions, The Jaguar Plaza,
and The Rosalila can be found the Tunnel of the 7th Mayan King at
Copan – The Water Lily Jaguar. In
addition an amusing rendition of a near “Tony The Tiger” hieroglyphic facsimile
of a Dancing Jaguar adds some levity to the gravity of the traditions here.
Continuing the tour, we arrive at a modestly sized ball
court (when compared with Chichen Itza, for example). The game is called Pocatoc. It most nearly
approximates jai alai today. However,
players could not use their hands or feet.
Hips, elbows and head were used to move an eight pound rubber ball
around the plaster floored court, in hopes of hitting three massive orbs placed
high on a sloping stone talus that was off limits to players in terms of
playing surface. These targets served in
place of ringed hoops placed high on vertical walls, as at Tikal, Palenque,
Chichen Itza, and elsewhere.
Hitting the orb resulted in a point. If the ball touched the ground on the flat playing
surface between the two sloped stone surfaces leading to the orbs, the team
lost a point. Unlike Tikal and
elsewhere, however, the winner at
Copan was sacrificed. This was
considered an honor. The motivating
belief was in their immediate afterlife, they would be honored with the
presence and company of many, many virgins. Shades of Al Quaida …
Continuing further on a very hot day, Juan Carlos
brings me around the corner with very special pride to The Hieroglyphic
Stairs. Over 2200 inscriptions carved
into stone (who needs books?) on a massive stairway built in 755 AD by the 15th
Mayan King (Yas Pa Sa’s father) serve as a gift to his people of their ancestral
history. This protected stairway is the
longest hieroglyphic text inscription in the world. It is called quite simply, The Library. A book in stone.
And finally, The Grand Plaza reveals itself. Steeply elevated stone terrace-type seating
sufficient for perhaps 10,000 forms a semi-circle around the ball court. Lower level seating up to ten rows deep then continues
encircling the remainder of the Plaza, sufficient for the remaining population
of Copan. The area is huge, the largest
I’ve seen at the four major Mayan temples visited on this epic whirlwind tour. Large enough for three to four adjacent chariot
ovals if one visualizes them from the award winning movie, “Ben Hur.” The open spaces are very impressive.
They are dominated by Stila staturary commemorating
primarily Mayan Kings. Two are
particularly notable. The Stila of the 12th
King, known as The Small Jaguar, who died at age 87. And the Stila of the Two Faces. I did not catch the name of the King it
corresponds to, amongst the hectic pronunciation and transcribing going on
simultaneously. But it shows a king in
his youth, looking very Egyptian -- with a smooth face – and then in his wisdom
years later, fully bearded and looking more like royalty from the Han Dynasty
in China. I reassure we have many, many two-faced politicians in Washington DC
as well. Some things never change …
Interspersed among the Stila are sacrifice stones,
placed within full view of the terrace seated onlookers. Both animals and humans were sacrificed. Sometimes (though rarely), death was not
involved. Merely a blood offering was
made on some occasions. The hierarchy of
blood for such an occasion was first royal blood, then the blood of a virgin,
then the blood of an athlete, and finally the blood of an animal.
My final stop at this memorable city is Las Sepulturas. One of nine neighborhoods that made up Copan,
and populated only by royalty and the rich.
The poor had to walk in from some distance to enjoy the fruits of the
central city on most occasions. Here remains the site’s best preserved example
of Mayan architecture, with solid stone construction surrounding very small
rooms consisting primarily of storage areas and a bed chamber dominated by a
stone platform bed.
Depending on level of wealth, Mayan men often had
multiple wives. One of these complexes
that was viewed included a dwelling with 18 rooms – one for each wife. The first wife was generally for money and
political connection, the second for love, and the others for breeding and
amusement. It includes the Palace of The
Scribe, the eldest brother of the previous king. He was primarily responsible for documenting
his people’s history and accomplishments.
In departing Copan, I once again run into an ongoing
problem when dealing with taxi drivers, guides, and all other provisioners in
these parts. And that is what we’ll call
“The Final Cost.” Sure, a cost is negotiated
and agreed to ahead of time. Of
course. But there are always the add
ons. Or the attempted add ons. It does not mean there is not an attempt at
re-negotiation. Kind of a Mayan “value
added” play after the fact.
What appears to be generosity, is not always
so. What is apparently offered as
gratis, or included, is not often the case.
My recommendation is keep a small notebook handy at all times. When price is negotiated, write it down. Have the vendor/taxi driver/guide look at it
and agree. Bullet point what is
included. Juan Carlos wants $25 in additional US money for his vague services,” which over a beer
appeared to have been offered out of the kindness of his heart, a $10
additional charge for some limited chauffeuring being involved, and a desire to
further connect with a curious Yankee scribe asking a lot of questions. We debate, and eventually split somewhere in
between. But it is an ongoing practice
which casts a pall over what has otherwise been a perfect day.
Said day concludes with a long bus ride, partly by collectivo
and partly by chicken bus, to the Honduran border town of Ocotepeque. The countryside is relaxing and
beautiful. It reminds me of my home turf
around the small gold towns of Northern California outside Sacramento (but
with verdant green instead of golden hills).
Having given more time than planned to Belize, Guatemala and the bonus
round of Palenque in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and probably Nicaragua will get short
shrift. I will just have to return some
time in recompense.
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