The implication of this, regardless of K ' inich Yax K ' uk ' Mo's physical point of geographic origin, is that later Copán rulers, in particular K ' ak ' Yipyaj Chan K ' awiil and Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat retrospectively sought to attribute Teotihuacano heritage to the ' founding ' ruler of their dynasty as a means of legitimising the dynastic claim.

The term acropolis is also used to describe the central complex of overlapping structures, such as plazas and pyramids, in many Maya cities, including Tikal and Copán.

An important part of that prehistory was the Mayan presence around the city of Copán, in western Honduras which is near the Guatemalan border.

* The royal ceremonial centre at Copán is abandoned.

* A Mayan altar with the head of the death god is built in Copán, Honduras.

* The powerful Mayan city-state Xukpi ( Copán ) is defeated by a rival city-state, Quiriguá.

He is the founder and first ruler of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization centered at Copán ( modern Honduras ).

Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala.

Copán is located in western Honduras close to the border with Guatemala.

The ruins of the site core of the city are located from the modern village of Copán Ruinas, which is built on the site of a major complex dating to the Classic period.

It is estimated that the peak population in central Copán was between 6000 to 9000 in an area of, with a further 9000 to 12000 inhabitants occupying the periphery — an area of.

Little is known of the rulers of Copán before the founding of a new dynasty with its origins at Tikal in the early 5th century AD, although the city's origins can be traced back to the Preclassic period.

Quiriguá shares its architectural and sculptural styles with the nearby Classic Period city of Copán, with whose history it is closely entwined.

Quiriguá is north of Copán, and is located north-west of the international border with Honduras.

Copán is one of the departments in the western part of Honduras.

The departmental capital is the town of Santa Rosa de Copán.

The department is famous for its Pre-Columbian archaeological site at Copán, one of the greatest cities of the Maya civilization.

Santa Rosa de Copán is the departmental capital of the Honduran department of Copán.

Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, is the largest and most important city in western Honduras with a population of 42, 803.

Santa Rosa is the governmental hub of the department of Copán.

Santa Rosa is situated at a strategic point between Copán Ruinas and Gracias, Lempira, and the Celaque National Park, ideal for those eager of visiting this interesting and must seen region.

The La Flor de Copán cigar factory is located in the city.

Copán was occupied for more than two thousand years, from the Early Preclassic period right through to the Postclassic.

He is known for greatly expanding the educational system by establishing a number of learning institutions around the country, attracting considerable foreign investment ( especially into the agricultural sector ), improving the infrastructure of the capital city, and encouraging research and investigation of the ancient Mayan city of Copán.

The town, located close to the Guatemalan border, is a major gateway for tourists traveling to the Pre-Columbian ruins of Copán.

The Copán ruins house a UN World Heritage site and are renowned for the hieroglyphic staircase, stellae, and museum.

* Information on Maya culture in Copán for children 6-99 years old!

At the peak of its power in the Late Classic the kingdom of Copán had a population of at least 20, 000 and covered an area of over.

After this, Copán became one of the more powerful Maya city states and was a regional power in the southern Maya region, although it suffered a catastrophic defeat at the hands of its former vassal state Quirigua in 738, when the long-ruling king Uaxaclajuun Ub ' aah K ' awiil was captured and beheaded by Quirigua's ruler K ' ak ' Tiliw Chan Yopaat ( Cauac Sky ).

Before this, Quiriguá had been a vassal state of Copán, but it maintained its independence afterwards.

In addition, maize probably formed an important component in the site's tribute payments to its overlords at Copán, a city that was exhausting its own local resources.

The historical center of Santa Rosa de Copán has been declared a Honduran national monument, with preservation of its Republican or Neoclassical architecture and cobblestone streets that has its origins in a prosperous tobacco farming industry of the 18th century.

The most important economical activity is commerce due to its location near to Gracias city and Santa Rosa de Copán city.

But there are high mountains around its capital and some of these belong to Copán department.

San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán's history has its origins in Mayan culture ; its people are associated with the cultures of Copán and Quiriguá.

Uaxaclajuun Ub ' aah K ' awiil ( also known by the appellation " 18-Rabbit " or " Eighteen Rabbit "), was the 13th ajaw or ruler of the powerful Maya polity associated with the site of Copán in modern Honduras ( its Classic Maya name was probably Oxwitik ).

By the time the Spanish came to Honduras, the once great city-state of Copán was overrun by the jungle, and the surviving Ch ’ orti ’ were isolated from their Choltian linguistic peers to the west.

* Copán – In modern Honduras.

* 1576 – Spanish explorer Diego García de Palacio first sights the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Copán.

Copán, probably called Oxwitik by the Maya, was a powerful city ruling a vast kingdom within the southern Maya area.

This unexpected defeat resulted in a 17-year hiatus at the city, during which time Copán may have been subject to Quiriguá in a reversal of fortunes.

A significant portion of the eastern side of the acropolis has been eroded away by the Copán River, although the river has since been diverted in order to protect the site from further damage.

Copán lies within the municipality of Copán Ruinas in the department of Copán.

In the Preclassic period the floor of the Copán Valley was undulating, swampy and prone to seasonal flooding.

Copán had a major influence on regional centres across western and central Honduras, stimulating the introduction of Mesoamerican characteristics to local elites.

The greater Copán area consisting of the populated areas of the valley covered about a quarter of the size of the city of Tikal.

Additionally, there was an estimated rural population of 3000 to 4000 in a area of the Copán Valley, giving an estimated total population of 18, 000 to 25, 000 people in the Copán Valley during the Late Classic period.