Copan, Honduras

(photo by Helene)

 Helene, David, Monika and Sue started their trip a day early, arriving in San Pedro Sula on Feb. 4 due to tight airline connections. It's a typical Cenral American city without much indigenous influence.

Stela B

Stela B. (Photo by Bonnie)
Copan - known as Xukpi to the Maya - was the dominant Maya city in the south. During the reign of its most illustrious king, Waxak Lahun Ubah K'awil (also known as "18 Rabbit"), the royal sculptors of Copan displayed their innovative talents in the many stelae that 18 Rabbit commissioned, as illustrated here with Stela B. Erected in A.D. 731, 18 Rabbit depicts himself as Chak.

aftermath of Mitch

(Photo by Bonnie)
As we traveled through Honduras and into Guatemala, we saw visible reminders of the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Mitch. Enterprising workers were, in some areas, gleaning the sand and gravel that had washed down the river for resale.

close-up of stela

(Photo by Bonnie)

Left: Close-up of detail of one of the Copan stelae, showing an ancestor materialized by the king's ritual sacrifice.

Right: Copan Stela 6 stands along the road between the site and the town.

Detail of Stela N (photo by Helene)

Copan Stela 6

(Photo by Sue)

Hieroglyphic Stairway

The Hieroglyphic Stairway (photo by Bonnie)

Left: The Hieroglyphic Stairway includes the longest single glyphic text found at any Maya site. When first discovered, the blocks were found tumbled down on the ground in disarray. Archaeologists struggled to assemble the blocks in their correct positions. It now appears that the stairway commemorates Copan Rulers 1 through 15 and was built by Smoke Shell. Among other things, it records the death of 18 Rabbit.

Right: David Sedat came to speak to us about the recent discoveries at Copan.

 

 

(photo by Wanda)

Stela B (photo by Helene)

The reproduction of the Rosalila Temple in the sculpture museum gives you a good impression of how the structures must have looked when the Maya lived in Copan. (photo by Helene)

Bat Emblem in sculpture museum (photo by Helene)

Altar Q (original now in sculpture museum) (photo by Helene)

Stela N

Stela N. (photo by Bonnie)

Left: Stela N includes exquisite detail of the jaws of a serpent surrounding the face of the ruler. It is located in front of the Temple of the Inscriptions, perpendicular to the Hieroglyphic Stairway.

 

Right: This stela is far west of town on a hill overlooking the valley.

far western stela outside of Copan

(Photo by Sue)

Altar G1 (photo by Helene)

Altar G2 (photo by Helene)

(photo by Wanda)

 

Left: Don and Wanda stand before a plaque in the Copan Sculpture Musem dedicated to Linda's memory.

Right: David Schele joined us for this trip. We think one of the reasons he had such a good time is that he remembered to bring his folding chair!

David Schele

(Photo by Bonnie)

stone sculpture

(Photo by Bonnie)

Above: Bonnie captured this poignant sculpture in the East Court.

David Sedat presents Linda's hat

Right: Tom, Sue and Jeannie went riding across the Motagua River where they had a great view overlooking the site of Copan.

 

(Photo by Sue)

 Tom, Sue, Jeannie

Left: While visiting in Copan, we were invited to a surprise dinner hosted by archaeologist David Sedat, one of the researchers on the Penn Copan project. He returned to David Schele the field hat that Linda had left in his care during her last visit to Copan. Amid a swirl of smoke from incense and candles, we each conjured our own memories of Linda. (Photo by Bonnie)

 
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All text by Susan E. Hoffman unless otherwise indicated. All text and photographs © 2000 by the author and/or photographer indicated and may not be used without the express permission of the author and/or photographer. For any questions pertaining to this website, please contact Susan E. Hoffman at  susanehoffman@hotmail.com

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