Copan, Honduras
Our second day in Copan we began with an interesting lecture on the Copan ruins by one of the two archaeologists who have dedicated their lives to the research of the Mayan world, Ricardo Argucia Fasquelle.
Afterwards we drove a bus towards the “Las Sepulturas”, one of the residential zones located Northeast of the Main Group and is formed of approximately forty residential compounds. Of these, eighteen have been investigated, nearly 100 buildings with more than 200 rooms, which makes this the most complete sample of urban domestic architecture excavated in the Maya world.
Driving through the Honduran countryside, one cannot help but become aware of the luxuriant and rich vegetation. Many of the encountered trees and plants presented lush and deep tones of green or were producing colorful flowers. Pink and yellow pouis, golden shower trees, pink shower trees, hibiscus, bougainvilleas, flame of the forest tree, and many more were in bloom. One tree, however, called our attention: the ceiba, kapok or silk cotton wood, the sacred tree of the Mayan peoples. Mayans believe that souls ascend to heaven by rising up a mythical ceiba. Their roots dwell in the underworld, their thorny trunk in this world, and their branches reach to heaven itself.
During our visit to “Las Sepulturas”, many of these magnificent trees (above) welcomed us, while still holding within the souls of many a Mayan people.
Our second day in Copan we began with an interesting lecture on the Copan ruins by one of the two archaeologists who have dedicated their lives to the research of the Mayan world, Ricardo Argucia Fasquelle.
Afterwards we drove a bus towards the “Las Sepulturas”, one of the residential zones located Northeast of the Main Group and is formed of approximately forty residential compounds. Of these, eighteen have been investigated, nearly 100 buildings with more than 200 rooms, which makes this the most complete sample of urban domestic architecture excavated in the Maya world.
Driving through the Honduran countryside, one cannot help but become aware of the luxuriant and rich vegetation. Many of the encountered trees and plants presented lush and deep tones of green or were producing colorful flowers. Pink and yellow pouis, golden shower trees, pink shower trees, hibiscus, bougainvilleas, flame of the forest tree, and many more were in bloom. One tree, however, called our attention: the ceiba, kapok or silk cotton wood, the sacred tree of the Mayan peoples. Mayans believe that souls ascend to heaven by rising up a mythical ceiba. Their roots dwell in the underworld, their thorny trunk in this world, and their branches reach to heaven itself.
During our visit to “Las Sepulturas”, many of these magnificent trees (above) welcomed us, while still holding within the souls of many a Mayan people.
