 Parque Arqueologico Copan Ruinas |
 Honduras highway CA-11, Copan |
 Stela 6 located along the path between the village and the main ruins |
 Stele 6, Copan |
 Stele 6, Copan |
 Detail of the back side of Stele 6 |
 Detail of the face of Stele 6 |
 Tourist information sign at Stela 5, Copan |
 Stela along the foot path between the town and the archeological site |
 The Stela is protected under a small roof |
 Copan Visitor's Center |
 Copan Visitor's Center - Instituto Hondureņo de Antropologia e Historia |
 Model of the Principal Group of Copan at the Visitor's Center |
 Model of the Acropolis of Copan |
 The model represents Copan at its height, not in its current state |
 Entrance fees for Copan, 2012 |
 Walking tour of the Principal Group, Copan |
 A pile of rubble along the jungle trail to the principal ruins is a collapsed Mayan structure |
 Guide board of the Ceremonial Center of Copan |
 A small unmarked stela along the trail |
 Stela E (614 AD) on the unexcavated ruins of Temple 1 |
 Mayan altar on the Great Plaza |
 Altar D with a representation of Chac, the rain god |
 Temple 4 on the Great Plaza of Copan |
 The small terraced pyramid of Temple 4, Copan |
 Temple 4, Copan |
 Temple 4, Copan |
 Temple 4, Copan |
 Temple 4 on the Great Plaza of Copan |
 Stela D, 736 AD, in front of Temple 2, Copan |
 Detail of Stela D - 736 AD, the last monument of the 13th Ruler |
 Stela D, 736 AD, 13th Ruler of Copan |
 Stela D, 736 AD, 13th Ruler of Copan |
 Stela D, 736 AD, 13th Ruler of Copan |
 Detail from Stela D |
 Stela F (721 AD) on the Great Plaza, the 13th Ruler, Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil (18 Rabbit) |
 Stela F, 721 AD, 13th Ruler of Copan |
 Detail of Stela F - the 13th Ruler, Copan |
 Detail of Stela F - the 13th Ruler, Copan |
 Stela H (730 AD) - Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awil in the role of the Maize God |
 Detail of Stela H - the 13th Ruler |
 One of the sections of Altar G (800 AD) |
 Stela C - 711 AD, the accession of the 13th Ruler |
 Stela C - 711 AD, the accession of the 13th Ruler |
 Stela B (731 AD) - the 13th Ruler |
 Stela B (731 AD) - the 13th Ruler |
 Stela B (731 AD) - the 13th Ruler |
 Stela B (731 AD) - the 13th Ruler |
 Detail from the back of Stela B, Copan |
 Stela 4 - the 13th Ruler depicted as a ball player |
 Stela A on the Great Plaza of Copan |
 Stela A - replica (the original is in the museum) |
 Stela A (731 AD) - 13th Ruler |
 Stele I in a niche on the east side of the Gran Plaza |
 Exploring beyond the east side of the Great Plaza, Copan |
 Temascal - Maya Steam Bath, Copan |
 Stela 3 - Ruler 12, Great Plaza of Copan |
 Stela 3 - Ruler 12, Great Plaza of Copan |
 Detail of Stela 3, Copan |
 Ball Court, Copan |
 Ball Court (Juego de Pelota), Temple 9 |
 The Ball Court of Copan seen looking south from Altar L |
 Copan's Ball Court is the second largest |
 Ball Court, Copan |
 Niche behind the Ball Court, Temple 10 |
 Mayan builders had not discovered the true arch |
 Inside Temple 10 near the Ball Court |
 The Ball Court of Copan and Temple 9 |
 Detail of the Ball Court - Macaw Head, Temple 10 |
 Stairs leading to one of the excavation tunnels on the north side of the Acropolis |
 View of the Ball Court and Temple 9 Copan |
 Workers maintaining the Acropolis of Copan |
 Temples at the base of the Acropolis, Copan |
 Stela 1 portraying the 12th Ruler of Copan, 668 AD |
 Stela 1 (Smoke Jaguar) to the west of Temple 9, Copan |
 Twisted roots of a large tree growing next to Temple 9 |
 The Ball Court and Temple 10, Copan |
 Detail of Temple 10 |
 The Acropolis of Copan |
 Ear Pod Tree (Guanacaste) left standing after the jungle was cleared from the Central Plaza |
 The Acropolis of Copan |
 North side of the Acropolis of Copan |
 Stela N, 15th Ruler of Copan, 761 AD |
 Stele M dedicated to the 15th Ruler, K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil, 756 AD |
 The Hieroglyphic Stairway - the history of the Royal House of Copan in 63 steps leading up to Temple 26 |
 Carving near the Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 Explanation of how new temples were built on top of older temples |
 Artist's impression of the Hieroglyphic Stairway, Copan |
 The "Cornerstone of Copan", now in the Copan Museum |
 Detail of a figure on the Hieroglyphic Stairway, Copan |
 Detail - Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 Detail - Hieroglyphic Stairway, 755 AD |
 Detail - Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 Stele M and the Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 Stele M and the Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 The altar in front of Stele M at the base of the Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 Stele M and the Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 Detail of Stele M and the Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 Stele M and the Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 Concrete has been used to stabilize the Acropolis |
 Another massive tree on the southwest corner of the Central Plaza |
 Bits and pieces lying around, Copan |
 Massive tree in the southwest corner of the Central Plaza |
 A large tree growing out of the Acropolis, Copan |
 It's a jungle, Acropolis of Copan |
 Climbing the Acropolis of Copan |
 Stair leading up to Temple 11 at the top of the Acropolis of Copan |
 Carved figure, Acropolis of Copan |
 View of Temple 16 on the south side of the Acropolis |
 Detail of Temple 11 - the Temple of the Inscriptions |
 Detail of Temple 11 - the Temple of the Inscriptions |
 View of Temple 9 looking north from the top of the Acropolis |
 Temple 9 at the base of the Acropolis |
 Artist's drawing of Copan at the height of its glory with the Ruler watching over festivities on the plaza below |
 Acropolis of Copan |
 Acropolis of Copan |
 Acropolis of Copan |
 Trees growing out of the Acropolis, Temple 11, Copan |
 Looking south from the top of the Acropolis - Western Patio and Temple 16 |
 Western Patio (Patio Occidental)Temple 16 and Stela P |
 The Old Man of Temple 11 (copy, the original is in the museum) |
 The Hieroglyphic Stairway from above |
 Temple 9 from the Acropolis, Copan |
 Patio of the Jaguars (Patio Oriental) and the pyramid of Temple 16 |
 Patio of the Jaguars (Patio Oriental) and the pyramid of Temple 16 |
 Structure 22A - Popol Nah, 746 AD |
 Detial of the brickwork of the Popol Nah, Copan |
 Eastern Patio - Patio de los Jaguares, Copan |
 Western side of the Patio de los Jaguares |
 Acropolis of Copan, north face of Temple 11 |
 Steps leading up the north face of the Acropolis of Copan |
 Temple 26 at the summit of the Hieroglypic Stairway |
 Acropolis of Copan - corner sculpture, Temple 22 |
 Temple 21, Acropolis of Copan |
 North side of the Patio de los Jaguares, Copan |
 The entrance to Temple 22, Acropolis of Copan |
 The entrance to Temple 22, Acropolis of Copan |
 Skulls along the entrance to Temple 22 |
 Skulls along the entrance to Temple 22 |
 Large skull carving, Temple 22, Acropolis of Copan |
 Detail of Temple 22, Copan |
 Patio de los Jaguares / Eastern Patio, Acropolis of Copan |
 Patio de los Jaguares and Temple 16 from Temple 22, Copan |
 Temple 22 on the north side of the Patio de los Jaguares |
 Sculptural detail on the west side of the Patio de los Jaguaes |
 Temple 22, north side of Patio de los Jaguares |
 Small altar on the north side of Temple 16 |
 Statue entangled in the roots of a tree, Copan |
 The saddle area of the Acropolis between Temples 11 and 16 |
 The Rosalita Temple is buried beneath this part of the Acropolis |
 Artist's depiction of the location of the Rosalita Temple buried inside the Acropolis |
 As the acropolis grew, older temples were used as the base of new construction |
 Statue on the north side of the Western Patio beneath the Temple of the Inscriptions |
 Base of the Temple of Inscriptions, Western Patio |
 Western Patio / Patio Occidental, Copan |
 Copy of Stela P (623 AD), Western Patio |
 Altar Q, 763 AD, in front of Temple 16, Western Patio |
 Detail of Altar Q, said to be one of the best carvings at Copan |
 The Tomb of Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat, 810 AD |
 The Tomb of Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat, 810 AD |
 Relief carvings, Structure 18, Copan |
 Relief carvings, Structure 18, Copan |
 View of the countryside surrounding Copan |
 One of the archaeological tunnels exploring beneath the Acropolis |
 Mask, Patio de los Jaguares |
 Patio de los Jaguares |
 Residential Courtyard - "El Cemeterio", Copan |
 Residential Courtyard to the south of the Acropolis, Copan |
 Residential Courtyard to the south of the Acropolis |
 "El Cemetario", Copan |
 Carving on a wall, "El Cemetario", Copan |
 "El Cemetario", Copan |
 "El Cemetario", Copan |
 Circular Mayan Altar, "El Cemetario", Copan |
 Archaeological Tunnel in the Acropolis, Copan |
 Stela J marking the northeastern boundary of the Royal Precinct |
 "You are now entering the great square of the people, the holy place where (the 13th Ruler) will perform acts of ritual..." |
 An excellent archeological site, too bad it was raining |
 Scarlet Macaw in the trees at the ruins of Copan |
 Wildlife at Copan - Central American Agouti, a giant rodent |
 Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata), Copan |
 Looking a little like a squirrel |
 Central American Agouti on a log, Copan |
 Central American Agouti under a log, Copan |
 Las Sepulturas, a separate set of ruins at Copan about a mile to the east of the Principal Group |
 Map of Las Sepulturas, Copan |
 Las Sepulturas - an residential district of Copan, 450-850 AD |
 Las Sepulturas |
 The stone couch typical of ancient Mayan homes |
 Las Sepulturas |
 Las Sepulturas |
 Las Sepulturas |
 Testing material for a new covering of the Hieroglyphic Stairway |
 Scribe's House, 780 AD - Las Sepulturas |
 Scribe's House, 780 AD - Las Sepulturas |
 Scribe's House, 780 AD - Las Sepulturas |
 Scribe's House, 780 AD - Las Sepulturas |
 Detail of the hieroglyphic bench inside the Scribe's House |
 Hieroglyphic Bench, Scribe's House, Copan |
 Hieroglyphic Bench, Scribe's House, Copan |
 Scribe's House, Copan-Las Sepulturas |
 Copan-Las Sepulturas |
 Copan-Las Sepulturas |
 Copan-Las Sepulturas |
 Walking back to Copan past farmers tending their field, Honduras |
 Souvenirs at Copan |
 Souvenirs at Copan |
 Souvenirs at Copan |