Mayan City

Today, we delved back into local history by visiting the Mayan city of Copan. Our expectations were low because everyone recommended we go to a different site at Tikal, but it was too logistically complicated and too expensive for us. It is in that context that the Copan site wildly exceeded our expectations and left me doubting why Tikal gets so much more visibility. Could it be that it's more Instagramable? Copan is a super site, no ifs, no buts.

The site is large with several different areas for living, dancing, sports, and, of course religion and religious sacrifice. The kids were particularly interested in the hierarchy of sacrifice. If the gods just needed a little ( to improve the harvest, etc), then animals would be enough. If more was needed, then the losing sports team would get the chop. Still not enough, then the winners would be done for, and ultimately, the king would let his own blood with facial incisions, though he would at least be spared.

There were 17 kings who reigned here before a revolution toppled the last one. After that, the high period of the Mayans ended here, and with rebellions and famine elsewhere. Of course, from 1500 onwards, the Spanish smashed much of what remained with disease and genocidal acts.Read more