Early Copán Acropolis Program 1995-1997 Field Seasons
Latest Findings at Copán, Honduras

THE 1995 FIELD SEASON

Excavations during the 1995 season revealed and documented several important new buildings that date to the earliest period of the Acropolis. This era corresponds to the founding of the Copán ruling dynasty (ca. A.D. 420-440). The 1995 excavations were concentrated in two areas of early Acropolis architecture, the Northern Court Complex (excavations supervised by Loa P. Traxler), and in the Southern Temple Complex (excavations supervised by David W. Sedat).

The Northeast Court Complex

ECAP’s excavations have revealed a complex of residential-type buildings located beneath the northeast sector of the Acropolis (Maps 1-3 and Figures 1-9). The origins and development of this Northeast Court Complex during a span of about 150 years in the Early Classic period (ca. A.D. 400-540) have been documented by ECAP research. During this span a succession of large multi-roomed buildings arranged around several central courtyards were constructed, used, terminated, and replaced. The evidence indicates that throughout its history, the Northeast Court Complex was the earliest royal residential area of the Copán Acropolis.

Court Groups 4 and 3

Beginning in 1989, ECAP’s tunnel excavations have defined and recorded the sequential development of this complex. As a result, by 1994 much of the latter portion of the sequence was documented, consisting of two major stages of masonry residential-type buildings. These were arranged around a series of courtyards that extended from the bank of the Río Copán for about 100 meters to the west (the easternmost courtyards were all but destroyed by later erosion from the river). The earliest stage of these masonry buildings, Court Groups 4A through 4C, are dated to ca. A.D. 480-520 (Figure 7 and Figure 8). This was followed by a second stage, Court Groups 3A and 3B, dated to ca. A.D. 520-540 (Figure 9).

Court Group 5

Based on this knowledge, beginning in 1995 excavations in the Northern Court Complex were devoted to excavations in the levels beneath these masonry residential buildings to document the origins and development of the preceding phases of construction. These excavations consisted on a tunnel beneath Court Complex 4B, and a series of deep stratigraphic probes beneath the floors of the Court Group 4 buildings. This work revealed that the sequence of masonry residences was preceded by platforms and buildings constructed of earth and adobe. Four earthen building platforms were defined by the end of the 1995 season. These formed a newly defined complex designated Court Group 5A and 5B (Maps 1-3 and Figures 1-6). To the west is a lower outlying platform (field designation, "Tartan" structure).

Like its successors, the eastern group (Court Group 5A) was almost totally destroyed by river erosion. But the building platforms of the westernmost group, Court Group 5B (field designations, "Laurel, Curry, and Cominos"), were found to be well preserved directly beneath part of the earliest masonry residential complexes, Court Group 4B.  Several traces of wall foundations were found, showing that the adobe buildings on the summits of the Court Group 5B earthen platforms were destroyed when Court 4B was constructed. But the large supporting platforms of Court Group 5B survive, encased in later construction. These represent part of the initial stage of the Northern Court Complex, and date to the earliest dynastic period (ca. A.D. 420-480).

The Southern Temple Complex

To the south of the Northeast Court Complex lies a cluster of early construction designated as the Southern Temple Complex (originally called the "Mini-Acropolis of the South"). Investigations of this complex began in earnest during the 1991 field season and have continued during each subsequent season. During the 1995 field season this work culminated in the documentation of the earliest buildings in the central core of the Acropolis. As a result, the Southern Temple Complex is now known to comprise the earliest royal center associated with the initial historically identified kings of Copán (the Founder and his immediate successors). As such, the Southern Temple Complex represents the architectural foundation of the Late Classic Acropolis that remains visible today.

This royal complex expanded around three sequential structures situated deep beneath the very center of the Acropolis (Maps 1-3 and Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3). These three buildings were constructed within a span of perhaps no more than ca. 20 years (ca. A.D. 420-440). The first of these platforms has the field designation "Hunal." It was replaced by a larger platform given the field name "Yehnal." This second structure was buried by an even larger platform, designated "Margarita."

Hunal

The earliest known structure beneath the core of the Acropolis, Hunal, was discovered during the 1995 season (Map 1 and Figure 1). Hunal is a substructural platform that once supported a building, but that building was almost completely demolished by the Maya prior to Hunal’s burial beneath its successor, Yehnal platform. The trace of a east-west medial wall on Hunal’s summit indicates its building originally had two rooms. The demolition debris found during the excavation of Hunal shows that this building once had brilliant painted murals on its interior walls. Based on the 1995 and subsequent work we can hypothetically reconstruct something of what Hunal may have looked like during its use.

Any reconstruction of Hunal’s appearance must be largely conjectural, since the later construction of Yehnal also destroyed much of Hunal’s low building platform. But a surviving portion of the eastern facade of Hunal platform was discovered in 1995, revealing it to be constructed in the Early Classic talud-tablero style of Central México. This was a most significant finding, since it represents the first and only Early Classic talud-tablero platform ever discovered at Copán. The other significant finding from the 1995 excavation of Hunal came from the tunnel probing the summit floor. In the northeast quadrant of the floor a masonry-vaulted tomb was found intruded into the building platform. The investigation of the Hunal tomb was then scheduled to begin during the 1996 field season.

Yehnal

Immediately after the demolition of most of Hunal, the second building in the core Acropolis sequence was constructed. This successor, Yehnal (Map 2 and Map 3 and Figure 2 and Figure 3), was larger than Hunal, and elaborately decorated. Because of the lack of space to safely tunnel along the summit of Yehnal, we know almost nothing about its summit building, although there are indications that it was also destroyed when its successor was constructed. But excavation found that much of Yehnal’s platform has survived, revealing that it was constructed in the prevailing apron molding style of the central Petén. The full extent of the southern side of the western facade was cleared during the 1995 season, revealing a beautifully preserved stucco-modeled mask of the Maya sun god painted in red, and accented in blue-green and yellow. A probe to the north indicates that there are two such masks, one flanking each side of Yehnal’s western staircase. Excavation also revealed that when Yehnal was terminated, the Maya carefully preserved both masks, although the stairway was almost completely demolished. The results of our investigation of Yehnal allows a hypothetical reconstruction of its appearance during use, although once again the summit building is purely conjectural.

Margarita

After a relatively short interval, Yehnal was buried by a larger platform, Margarita (Figure 4). The evidence for a relatively brief use-span comes from the uneroded condition of Yehnal’s painted stucco surfaces. First revealed in 1993, the western facade of Margarita was decorated with beautifully modeled stucco reliefs, painted in red, green, yellow, and cream, that also flank either side of a western stairway (also anciently demolished by the Maya). The Margarita stucco panels are larger and more elaborate than those of Yehnal, but were also carefully preserved when Margarita was terminated. During the 1995 season, after consultation with expert architectural conservators (Lic. Luciano Cedillo of the Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History, and Arq. Carlos Rudy Larios, Copán Project Director of Architectural Consolidation), the panel on the southern side of Margarita’s western facade was fully exposed. Its central scene is framed by an elaborate sky band (top), an earth band (bottom), and two deities (north and south). The central scene depicts two intertwined birds; on the left is a quetzal bird (Mayan, k’uk’) and on the right is a macaw (Mayan, Mo’). Both birds are surmounted by yax glyphs ("first" or "precious"), so that the entire composition is a full figure emblem of the name Yax K’uk’ Mo’, the Founder of the Copán dynasty. Both birds stand on a giant "9 imix/moon" glyph, believed to represent a sacred location in the afterworld (thus, the facade may depict Yax K’uk’ Mo’ after his death, residing in the afterworld).

Based on ECAP’s investigations we can present a hypothetical reconstruction of Margarita’s appearance during use, although as was the case with its predecessors, the summit building is purely conjectural.

In 1993 an elaborate chambered tomb was found inside Margarita, composed of an upper (offering) chamber, and a lower (burial) chamber reached by a stairway from the summit of Margarita. The investigation of this tomb was continued during the 1995 season. The major results of the 1995 work was the conservation and removal of the pottery vessels from the upper chamber and the clearing of fallen debris from the lower burial chamber. The debris on the stone burial slab, ancient broken by partial collapse of the chamber, was hindered by the need to wear respirators and protective garb due to the presence of large quantities of toxic mercuric sulfide (cinnabar, a red pigment). But once the debris was cleared the skeletal remains of a single individual of apparent advanced age was revealed interred supine with head to the south. After clearing the interment was fully documented by photography, scaled drawings, and video taping. Post-mortim entry into the tomb and ritual treatment of the buried individual is indicated by the painting of the skull and several other bones with cinnabar. In addition to the cinnabar, the bones are associated with many objects of bone and shell, along with thousands of jade beads.

Burial 95-1

Further excavation of a deposit found two seasons previously revealed that it was a human burial accompanied by several elaborate but perishable offerings. Located directly west of Margarita, Burial 95-1 was cleared to reveal an extended interment of an apparently sacrificed male wrapped in a mat and adorned by a pair of shell goggles, a bundle of atlatl darts, jade and shell mosaics, and painted organic objects. Work in 1995 succeeded in the clearing, conservation, and documentation of this interment, which quickly became informally known as "the Tlaloc Warrior," and plans were made for the continuation of this effort in the 1996 season.

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