Journal -- Day 2

December 28th
Copān

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Our first day of Mayan exploration takes us to Copān, one of the easternmost Mayan cities, and one of the best preserved.  Rediscovered in the mid-1800s, it has been restored over decades by several groups, most prominently Harvard University.  The result is a very well-marked, well-restored site with not one but two accompanying museums.  Temples are labeled, glyphs explained, and the overall use of the site moderately well known.  The excavations extend to several smaller outlying structures and monuments erected many kilometers away.  There are six miles of tunnels underneath the main site, used to investigate earlier structures that were used as bases for new temples.  Two of these are open to public view, for aspirational archeologists.  While surely there is much more to be done, it is an impressively organized site.

Of particular note in Copān is the hieroglyphic staircase, a long ceremonial stairway in which all the faces of the steps are covered in glyphs.  Every story or so, there is a large central statue, oriented to the observer at the bottom.  It must have been a very intimidating entrance for a king to make, and a humbling climb for the petitioner.  The stones of the steps fell down, of course, creating a sort of crossword-cum-jigsaw puzzle that has intimidated many researchers.  Over the last 30 years, much of the Mayan writing system has been deciphered, making the puzzle more rewarding to solve.  Most of the stones remain, and work on the restoration and preservation continues under extensive coverings.  Unfortunate for the tourist, perhaps, but worth the trouble in the end.  We attempt to capture the magnificence from under green tarpaulin.

Another marvelous sight at Copān is the ball court, a staple of Mesoamerican cities.  This is the fourth ball court on the site – tunnels have revealed the former three, and reconstructions await in the on-site museum.  A violent ritual game, from what is known, the ballgame was variously used to torture captives and honor great warriors.  Regardless of application, it does seem certain that someone – winner or loser – died at the end.  The surely fast-paced game was played with two teams of four.  They would manipulate an eight-pound natural rubber ball without the use of their feet or hands.  Scoring rules are unknown, but the three stone macaw heads on each side seem significant.  The sloping walls on either side of the central alley seem reminiscent of early tennis games.  It must have been a stirring sight, and fortunately the surrounding stepped buildings provide a wonderful set of bleachers.

A buried treasure under the city, discovered by way of determination and tunneling, is the temple Rosalila.  Unlike most early structures, it was not partially demolished when it was covered with a newer building.  When excavators reached it, they found it in fine condition, even retaining some original paint.  A full-scale reproduction, elaborately painted, resides in the on-site museum.  Unfortunately the gods must wish it reburied, as the roof of the museum recently collapsed, damaging the replica.  It is now undergoing restoration, in an odd ironic turn of events.

In the evening we are treated to a demonstration by a local marimba band.  Common across Central America, the marimba is the national instrument of Guatemala.  In Honduras, it is most often accompanied by drums.  The marimba is a zylophone-like instrument, with the sounds produced by gourds (or more recently steel coils) under wooden bars.  Marimbas can be played by multiple people at once, allowing for multi-part harmony and octave accompaniments.  This particular band has two drummers and six men on a two-part marimba.  This superfluity of talent allows them to play incessantly…er…continuously for three hours.  The marimba is perhaps an acquired taste.  To my uneducated ear, all the songs sound exactly like the background music piped through carousels.


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