Site · Honduras
Copán
Maya, 400–850 CE
Copán is the Maya city of the Motagua drainage in western Honduras, famed for the finest sculpture of the Classic period, a dynasty of sixteen rulers from 426 to about 820, and an acropolis riddled with archaeological tunnels. Its hieroglyphic stairway and stelae make it the best source for Maya royal history.
| Country | Honduras |
|---|---|
| State / province | Copán |
| Dates | 400–850 CE |
| Status | Archaeological park and UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| Managed by | Instituto Hondureño de Antropología e Historia (IHAH) |
| Access | Open to the public with a sculpture museum and tunnels |
| Coordinates | 14.839, -89.142 (public site) |
What was found
Excavations recovered the Hieroglyphic Stairway, the longest Maya text, the stelae of Waxaklajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, the buried Rosalila temple and the founder's tomb of K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' with jade and shell. The sculpture museum at the site displays a full-scale replica of Rosalila.
Rules
Nothing may be collected, dug, moved or removed at Copán; it is a protected archaeological site managed by Instituto Hondureño de Antropología e Historia (IHAH), and taking artifacts, stones or samples is an offence. Honduran law vests all archaeological property in the state, and removal or export is a crime. This article is for study and context only and is not a collecting locality.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Copán" (Site). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/sites/copan. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-copan,
title = {Copán},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/sites/copan}},
year = {2026},
note = {Site article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.