Archeology
The second of our three great worlds is the world of Maya. In the world of Maya archeology, the name Copan stands out like that of Athens in Ancient Western Civilization. Indeed, Copan has been called the Athens of the new World. Copan is considered the Maya’s crowning artistic achievement because of its unique and abundant, high relief style of stone sculpture. If Tikal in Guatemala, with its towering temples, could be compared to New York, Copan, it is said, would be Paris.
In addition to possessing the most intricately and artistically carved stone sculpture, Copan is the most intensely studied and best understood of all Maya sites. After decades of world class archaeology study, which has been featured often in magazine like National Geographic, Copan is the only site to yield the remains of a Maya queen.