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Our visit continued around the hieroglyphic stairways and the ball court areas.
Stela N, 761 A.D. representing the ruler Humo Ardilla. It is considered one of the most elaborate ones because of its reliefs.
Stela M, erected in 756 A.D. represents the 15th ruler, Humo Ardilla Caracol. Behind it the hieroglyphic stairways with its 63 stairs (more than 1250 blocks have been used) on which is written the longest text of the Maya culture. It was erected by the 15th ruler in 743 and it depicts the genealogy tree of the Yax Ku Mo dinasty.
The ball game having been the centre of the city social life was rich in decorations (said to be the richest ones in the whole Mesopotamia. The sculpted markers are in the shape of macaw heads (left).
Stela E - the oldest stela of Copan representing the 7th ruler, "Humo Jaguar", the father of 18 Rabbi who ruled from 504 to 544.
We then headed towards the great Plaza where many of the best known stelas are to be seen.
Stela H ereted in 730 A.D consider to be the most beautiful stela in Copan which may either represent the wife of ruler 18 Rabit captured and beheaded in the Maya town of Quirigua or the ruler himself.
Eventual representation of ruler 18 Rabit in his youth (left) symbol of the day and either the representation of his father or himself in his old age, symbol of the night.
Stela B erected in 731 A.D. representing the 13th ruler of Copan.
Stela D erected in 736 A.D. (upper part). The altar represents two heads symbolic of the duality life-death (lower part). Also called Chac, God of rain.
Stela G (left) and Stela 4 (right) erected in 726 A.D. with a round altar in the front part surrounded by a sculpted rope. It may represent the ball game, always related to sacrifice.
I would be lying if I said that I don't find Maya culture and its rituals rather complex. My main interest had a lot more to do with the craftmanship of that epoch. Some of the stelas were really impressive and so were many of the scatered sculpted figures to be seen almost everywhere.
I left the archeological site with the sensation of having "leearned" a lot and yet not have learned enough ...
We still had time to stroll around the streets of the main Plaza, very close to the hotel we were staying at and buy some colouful souvenirs from the many stalls around it. I got the impression that most of the beautifully hand-made objects that were to be seen were mainly fauna and flora oriented (so to say ).
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