Capital of a major Classic Maya kingdom in a fertile mountain valley of western Honduras, on the southeastern frontier of the Maya cultural region, Copán developed a distinctive sculptural tradition under the Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ dynasty founded in 426 CE. This record adds Copán at city-state granularity alongside the umbrella Classic Maya (Lowland City-States) record; per the R4 spec's suggested dynastic refinement, its frame is bounded to the ruling dynasty's attested span (426-822) rather than the wider site-occupation history.
The dynasty's last recorded king, Ukit Took', took the throne in 822 CE amid overpopulation, shortage, and disease in the Copán valley; the royal line ends in the historical record shortly after, and the city was abandoned by the early 10th century.
Edited volume synthesizing Copán's dynastic and archaeological history.
Covers Copán's political rise and ecological/demographic collapse in the Copán valley.