The ruins known as Copan are situated in the extreme western part of
Honduras, where they are densely covered by the forest. As already
stated, they were first discovered by Europeans about forty years after
the war of the conquest swept through that part of the country, and were
at that time wholly mysterious to the natives. The monuments seem older
than those at Palenque, but we have only scant descriptions of them.
They are situated in a wild and solitary part of the country, where the
natives "see as little of strangers as the Arabs about Mount Sinai, and
are more suspicious." For this reason they have not been very carefully
explored. It is known that these ruins extend two or three miles along
the left bank of the River Copan. Not much has been done to discover how
far they extend from the river into the forest.
[Illustration: Fig. 29.--Great Wall at Copan.]
Mr. Stephens describes as follows his first view of them: "We came to
the right bank of the river, and saw directly opposite a stone wall from
60 to 90 feet high, with furze growing out of the top, running north and
south along the river 624 feet, in some places fallen, in others
entire." This great wall supported the rear side of the elevated
foundation of a great edifice. It was made of cut stone well laid in
mortar or cement, the blocks of stone being 6 feet long. Figure 29 shows
the wall somewhat imperfectly. He saw next a square stone column
standing by itself, 14 feet high and 3 feet on each side. From top to
bottom it was richly ornamented with sculptured designs on two opposite
sides, the other sides being covered with inscriptions finely carved on
the stone. On the front face, surrounded by the sculptured ornaments,
was the figure of a man. Fourteen other obelisks of the same kind were
seen, some of them being higher than this. Some of them had fallen.
These sculptured and inscribed pillars constitute the chief peculiarity
of Copan. Mr. Squier says of them: "The ruins of Copan, and the
corresponding monuments which I examined in the valley of the
Chamelican, are distinguished by singular and elaborately carved
_monoliths_, which seem to have been replaced at Palenque by equally
elaborate _basso relievos_, belonging, it would seem, to a later and
more advanced period of art."
The great building first noticed stands, or stood, on a pyramidal
foundation, which is supported along the river by that high back wall.
The structure extends 624 feet on the river line. Mr. Stephens described
it as an "oblong inclosure," and states that it has a wide terrace
nearly 100 feet above the river, on which great trees are growing, some
of them more than 20 feet in circumference. Here, as at Palenque, the
ornamentation was "rich and abundant." The ruins, greatly worn by decay,
still show that "architecture, sculpture, painting, and all the arts
that embellish life had flourished in this overgrown forest." Some
beautifully executed sculptures were found buried in the earth, and
there can be no doubt that extensive excavation, if it were possible in
that almost invincible forest, would lead to important and valuable
discoveries. Besides the great building and the monoliths, several
pyramidal structures are mentioned by Mr. Stephens, who points out that
extensive exploration is impossible unless one shall first clear away
the forest and burn up the trees.
Palacios, who described this ruined city nearly three hundred years ago,
saw much more than Mr. Stephens. He described "the ruins of superb
edifices, built of hewn stone, which manifestly belonged to a large
city." He mentions, in connection with the great wall, an enormous
eagle carved in stone, which bore a square shield on its breast covered
with undecipherable characters. He mentions, also, a "stone giant," and
a "stone cross" with one arm broken. He saw a "plaza," circular in form,
surrounded by ranges of steps or seats, which reminded him of the
Coliseum at Rome, "as many as eighty ranges still remaining in some
places." This "plaza" was "paved with beautiful stones, all square and
well worked." Six of the great obelisks, which he described as
"statues," stood in this inclosure, and in its centre was a great stone
basin.
A history of Guatemala, by a writer named Huarros, states that the
"Circus of Copan," as he calls the "plaza" described by Palacios, was
still entire in the year 1700. He mentions gateways which led into the
inclosure, and says it was surrounded on the outside by stone pyramids
six yards high, near which were standing sculptured figures or obelisks.
No doubt, remains of this remarkable "circus" would be found now, if the
forest should be removed. What else could be found there by means of
careful and thorough exploration may never be known, for the region is
uninviting, the forest very difficult, and such an exploration would
require much more than the means and efforts of one or two individuals.
Not very far away, in the neighboring State of Guatemala, on the right
bank of the River Motagua, to which the Copan is a tributary, are the
ruins called Quirigua. It is manifest that a great city once stood here.
These ruins have a close resemblance to those at Copan, but they appear
to be much older, for they have, to a great extent, become little
more than heaps of rubbish. Over a large space of ground traces of what
has gone to decay are visible. Doubtless important relics of the old
city are now more abundant below the surface than above it. Mr.
Stephens, describing what he saw there, confines his attention chiefly
to a pyramidal structure with flights of steps, and monoliths larger and
higher than those at Copan, but otherwise similar. He states, however,
that while they have the same general style, the sculptures are in lower
relief and hardly so rich in design. One of the obelisks here is twenty
feet high, five feet six inches wide, and two feet eight inches thick.
The chief figures carved on it are that of a man on the front, and that
of a woman on the back. The sides are covered with inscriptions similar
in appearance to those at Copan. Some of the other standing obelisks are
higher than this. It seems reasonable to infer that the structures at
Quirigua were more ancient than those at Copan.
[Illustration: Fig. 30.--Ruins at Mitla.]