WEBVTT

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[DAVID YETMAN] The great Maya
archeological site of Copán,

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Honduras lies near a town
renowned for macaws.

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We have accessibility to Copán
not often available

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to outsiders: the uncovering
of a hieroglyphic staircase--

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[BILL FASH]
The inscriptions

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are giving us
the historical background.

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[DAVID] --and a tunnel deep
inside the pyramids,

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leading to a recently uncovered
mural.

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{LATIN GUITAR SWELLS}

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[ANNOUNCER]
Funding for In The Americas

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with David
Yetman was provided by Robert

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and Carol Dorsey,

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the Gilford Fund,

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Arch and Laura Brown,

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and Hugh and Joyce Bell

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[DAVID YETMAN] Archeologists
recognize the ancient town 

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of Copán, 
in southwestern Hondruas,

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as the pinnacle
of artistic achievement

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among the great Maya
civilizations.

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Between the years 431
and 756 A.D.,

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a succession of sixteen kings
ruled the region.

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They left their legacy
carved in stone and described

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in exquisite detail
on the staggeringly complex

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monuments of the city.

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{ELECTRIC GUITAR}

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The town of Copán Ruinas
in Honduras

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is located only half a kilometer
away from the

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archeological site of Copán.

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{CITY AMBIENCE}

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The Scarlet Macaw

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was one of the sacred
birds of the Mayas

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and is very important
to local people as well.

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They provide nesting places
safe from predators

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for the birds and provide
feeding platforms as well.

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And they are now everywhere.

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It is a terrific decoration
for the ruins, for the town,

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and for the very proud people of
Copán Ruinas.

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{LATIN PERCUSSION SWELLS}

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Generations of families
have worked at the site.

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Copán,

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one of the

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greatest archeological sites
in the world, is one of the two

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top attractions internationally
for the nation of Honduras.

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[BILL FASH] This is
the grand processional entryway

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where
tens of thousands of people

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would come in to participate
in the public events

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and ceremonies, the marketplace.

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[DAVID] Our visit is possible
due to my friend Bill Fash,

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Harvard professor and long time
lead archeologist at Copán.

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He knows the site
like no other human.

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{MACAW CALLS}

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[BILL]
The games on the ball court,

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the great Circus Maximus,
as the early explorers

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called this area
that has seating for

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about 3000 people to come
and see what's going on in the

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royal precinct here.

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We have actual

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contemporary records
for almost all of the 16 rulers

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and in many cases can associate
them with particular buildings.

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Fortunately, in Copán,

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there are hundreds
of hieroglyphic inscriptions,

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and that's one of the reasons

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why it attracted explorers
from very early days.

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You have everything
like the hieroglyphic stairway

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with its complete and cyclical
of all the rulers from 1 to 15.

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But you also have

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individual portraits such as
we have here in the Great Plaza.

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It's a really orderly succession
that is recorded

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on a whole series of monuments.

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So the inscriptions are giving
us the historical background

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that we can then flesh out
with all the archeological data

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from the households
of all of the people

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in the ancient society.

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The inscriptions do tell
us a great deal about relations

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between rival kingdoms,

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because in the Maya world,

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they never created
a single royal house

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that could foster
the creation of an empire.

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So the end of the late classic
period was a time of troubles

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in many ways.

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There are all these records 

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of warfare
all across the Maya lowlands.

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It's everywhere
in the eighth century A.D.

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and continues into the ninth

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because there were
so many powerful people

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that were not able to accede
to a political office.

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{LATIN PERCUSSION
CONTINUES} 

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{MACAW CALLS}

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In a place like Copán,
we can document

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that the best farmland
was taken up by residences

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and this forced people to farm

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the thinner soils
higher up on the foothills.

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Eventually, that all got covered
with residences as well.

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As the city
became more successful,

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they can bring in tribute from
other places that were farming

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and feed themselves
on that basis

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rather than what they themselves
produced.

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As the foothills filled in,

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and then they had to strip down
the higher slopes

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and there is very thin soil
there,

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it won't last
more than a season or two.

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So imagine

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you're in a situation

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where your city can't feed
itself anymore,

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which is what we believe
happened

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to Copán at one point in time.

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{GRINDING CORN}

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In Copán, by contrast,

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it wasn't that the population
stayed the same.

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It was that there was tremendous
in-migration

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it became a victim
of its own success.

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So many people wanted to be
a part of it

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that it's estimated
that someplace between 30 and 40

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percent
of the population of Copán

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were people
that came from elsewhere.

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{UPBEAT LATIN BEATS}

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[DAVID] For decades

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I've seen this photograph,
this Stela, and here it is.

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[BILL] Oh, it's breathtaking.

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That's one of the best preserved
of really natural likeness

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of Ruler 13 carved in 731.

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It shows him inside the mouth
of a cave.

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In a mountain.

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The mountain is named
by the two giant macaws

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with their long beaks on either
side.

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Then, come around
to the back side of it.

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They're very explicit
about naming the monument,

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naming the place where he did
a ceremony to celebrate

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this important anniversary
of the creation

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of when the World Came to Be.

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And that's in this glyph
here on the left side.

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You can see the macaw beak
and you can see

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the wrinkled skin
and you can see the eye.

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To the right of it
is the glyph that reads “witz”

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which means Mountain.

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[DAVE]
This is Macaw Mountain.

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[BILL] Absolutely.

07:11.900 --> 07:15.066 align:start position:30% line:84.67% size:35%
{UPBEAT MUSIC}

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This is such an important
monument,

07:17.100 --> 07:18.433 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:60%
really important legacy,

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because it tells the story
of the entire kingdom.

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It's a king's list
of all 16 rulers in Copán.

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Ruler nine here, one of the two
Jaguar named rulers

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seated on a Jaguar
glyph number eight, ruler six.

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And we're going to five.

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Number four,
we do have monuments

07:34.133 --> 07:36.500 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
for underneath
a hieroglyphic stairway.

07:36.500 --> 07:38.166 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
And then this is the second
ruler,

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the successor to the founder.

07:40.500 --> 07:42.366 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:75%
He was a very important figure

07:42.366 --> 07:45.200 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
and he's got a feathered cape
like a bird himself.

07:45.200 --> 07:48.666 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
And then he sits on a ruler
glyph that shows that

07:48.666 --> 07:53.133 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
he personified kingship
for the people of Copán.

07:53.233 --> 07:54.300 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:57.5%
These were real people.

07:54.300 --> 07:56.600 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
We have found buildings
that they built

07:56.600 --> 07:58.933 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
with inscriptions
that they had carved

07:58.933 --> 08:01.166 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
and their own mortal remains
in some cases,

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including the case
of the founder.

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It's the only Mesoamerican city
where someone has found

08:06.133 --> 08:09.300 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
the actual remains
of the founder of a city.

08:09.500 --> 08:11.966 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
That was meant to be read
by someone standing up there

08:11.966 --> 08:15.166 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
to tell the story of the master
narrative of the founder

08:15.166 --> 08:18.600 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
going to Teotihuacán,
performing a new fire ceremony

08:18.900 --> 08:22.666 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
being transformed, getting new
titles, “Sun Faced Lord,”

08:22.666 --> 08:25.933 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
“Blue Green Quetzal Macaw,”
“Resplendent Quetzal Macaw.”

08:25.933 --> 08:30.433 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
Three days later, he leaves that
temple and begins his walk.

08:30.533 --> 08:34.166 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
And it takes him here
and there all over Mesoamerica

08:34.166 --> 08:37.966 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
for a total of 152 days
before he

08:38.233 --> 08:41.200 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
and the scepter that he brought
is the symbol

08:41.200 --> 08:43.900 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:40%
of the lightning
god of Teotihuacán

08:43.900 --> 08:49.600 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
get to the three mountain
place and rest their feet.

08:49.700 --> 08:51.533 align:start position:40% line:79.33% size:17.5%
This is
one of my favorite spots.

08:51.533 --> 08:53.466 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:72.5%
[DAVID] Oh, with good reason.

08:53.466 --> 08:55.833 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
[BILL] You see the whole process
right here in one spot.

08:55.833 --> 08:59.300 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
So over here you can see
it's not been excavated, but

08:59.400 --> 09:02.333 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
because they didn't
have very much lime for plaster

09:02.333 --> 09:04.200 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:22.5%
buildings
toppled in an earthquake

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zone like this within a century
or two, sending pieces

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like this tumbling down
from the top of the temple.

09:11.866 --> 09:13.900 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:30%
So Temple 18
here is really important

09:13.900 --> 09:17.200 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
because it tells us about
the last years of the kingdom.

09:17.200 --> 09:21.633 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
The temple itself was toppled
and burned, his tomb was looted.

09:21.900 --> 09:22.500 align:start position:27.5% line:84.67% size:40%
All that were in

09:23.000 --> 09:25.500 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
there were little scraps of bone
and broken vessels,

09:25.500 --> 09:29.533 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
some of them of marble pieces
and broken pieces of jade.

09:29.666 --> 09:32.633 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Some of the lead residences
in the valley are burned also.

09:32.733 --> 09:39.166 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
So it does have the look of
very serious social unrest.

09:39.266 --> 09:41.800 align:start position:40% line:79.33% size:17.5%
This is
a pretty grim scene, actually.

09:41.800 --> 09:45.366 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
He's in a dance pose like this
with one foot raised

09:45.466 --> 09:45.833 align:start position:37.5% line:84.67% size:20%
and he's

09:46.333 --> 09:47.533 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
holding a scepter of that
lightning

09:47.533 --> 09:49.733 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
god that's so important to
everybody.

09:49.733 --> 09:50.866 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
Got a shield here.

09:50.866 --> 09:51.900 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
But what's grim is

09:51.900 --> 09:54.900 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
he has these shrunken upside
down trophy heads.

09:55.033 --> 09:58.000 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
In Mesoamerican art,
when a head is shown upside

09:58.000 --> 10:01.200 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
down, the individual, whether
it's God or human, is dead.

10:01.333 --> 10:02.766 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:70%
{PERCUSSION MUSIC CONCLUDES}

10:02.766 --> 10:04.766 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:75%
[DAVID] The great Saba Tree is

10:04.766 --> 10:09.100 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
emblematic for most Maya peoples
and with good reason.

10:09.233 --> 10:13.400 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
They provide buttresses
that hold them up in high wind.

10:13.400 --> 10:16.233 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
But more than anything,
they're a symbol of strength

10:16.233 --> 10:18.700 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
and resurgence
that come each year.

10:18.700 --> 10:20.066 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:55%
They drop their leaves

10:20.066 --> 10:22.066 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
and they're renewed
when the rain comes.

10:22.066 --> 10:28.966 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:55%
{LATIN BEATS CONTINUE}

10:31.866 --> 10:35.300 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
[BILL] Four social classes
and four types of residents.

10:35.300 --> 10:37.900 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
Absolutely.
This was established early on.

10:37.900 --> 10:39.100 align:start position:22.5% line:84.67% size:52.5%
The mounds themselves

10:39.100 --> 10:42.066 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
give us a who's
who of ancient Maya society.

10:42.333 --> 10:45.300 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
If it's a little simple dwelling
like that one, then

10:45.500 --> 10:47.500 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
you know that you're
dealing with the commoner.

10:47.500 --> 10:48.233 align:start position:30% line:84.67% size:37.5%
And by the way,

10:48.600 --> 10:52.000 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
we should also mention
that this is just the foundation

10:52.000 --> 10:52.633 align:start position:32.5% line:84.67% size:32.5%
of the house.

10:53.033 --> 10:55.166 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:40%
The house itself
was built of wattle and daub.

10:55.166 --> 10:59.733 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
It was a perishable materials,
and then it had a thatched roof.

10:59.833 --> 11:04.033 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
So that's the most common kind
of house in the Copán Valley.

11:04.166 --> 11:05.566 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:40%
And in this part
of the household,

11:05.566 --> 11:07.600 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:30%
we have what
every household needs.

11:07.600 --> 11:09.000 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
We have a kitchen.

11:09.000 --> 11:12.500 align:start position:22.5% line:84.67% size:52.5%
{LATIN GUITAR SWELLS}

11:15.133 --> 11:17.400 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
[DAVID] Well,
this is even nicer

11:17.400 --> 11:19.933 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:20%
than the
the wealthier peasants.

11:19.933 --> 11:23.133 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
[BILL] This is what we might
think of as upper middle class.

11:23.133 --> 11:24.766 align:start position:15% line:84.67% size:65%
So it's a type three site.

11:24.766 --> 11:27.466 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
And this individual
did have a specialization.

11:27.466 --> 11:28.066 align:start position:27.5% line:84.67% size:40%
There were eight

11:28.633 --> 11:31.900 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
beautiful sculpture masks
on the outside of the building

11:31.900 --> 11:35.900 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
that were all portraits
of the God of sculptors.

11:36.033 --> 11:38.466 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
This fellow was a stone
sculptor.

11:38.466 --> 11:41.933 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
This is really very impressive
dress masonry architecture

11:41.933 --> 11:44.700 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
with vaulted roofs
and sculpture in the site

11:44.700 --> 11:47.133 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:20%
that was
only occupied for 100 years.

11:48.166 --> 11:50.000 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:62.5%
So now we're going to the

11:50.000 --> 11:52.966 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
creme de la creme of ancient
Maya society.

11:53.066 --> 11:54.833 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:70%
This is led by an individual

11:54.833 --> 11:56.966 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:40%
who was a member
of the Royal Court,

11:56.966 --> 12:00.733 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
and he is one of the last
to reside in the longest

12:00.733 --> 12:04.266 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:20%
occupied
single site in the Copán Valley.

12:04.266 --> 12:07.133 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
We're walking up to an ancient
terrace

12:07.133 --> 12:10.833 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:40%
that covers over
a thousand years of occupations,

12:10.933 --> 12:14.166 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
and we're going toward
the residence of this fellow

12:14.166 --> 12:17.633 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:40%
who was a member
of the last Kings Court.

12:19.500 --> 12:23.033 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:77.5%
He was chosen by the 16th ruler

12:23.133 --> 12:26.100 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
to keep the books
of the kingdom.

12:26.200 --> 12:26.733 align:start position:35% line:84.67% size:25%
And that's

12:27.366 --> 12:30.566 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
what the inscription inside
of his own household says.

12:30.700 --> 12:35.200 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
And he's also accompanied
on either side of the doorway

12:35.200 --> 12:42.066 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:80%
by images of the God of Writing.

12:42.166 --> 12:42.733 align:start position:35% line:84.67% size:25%
Here we're

12:43.333 --> 12:46.100 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
at another part of this type
four site, the upper-most

12:46.200 --> 12:49.200 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
elite compound
that was dug in Las Sepulturas.

12:49.466 --> 12:50.933 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
[DAVID] The high rollers lived
here.

12:50.933 --> 12:51.633 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:72.5%
[BILL] {LAUGHS} That's right.

12:52.033 --> 12:54.833 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
The scribe was leading the pack,
but he also had people

12:54.833 --> 12:57.833 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
that he brought in
from other parts of Mesoamerica.

12:57.833 --> 13:01.833 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
So this is the residence of some
people from Lake Yojoa region.

13:01.966 --> 13:02.433 align:start position:32.5% line:84.67% size:30%
We know that

13:02.633 --> 13:04.066 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:70%
because in their own burials

13:04.066 --> 13:06.200 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
inside of the biggest structure
there,

13:06.200 --> 13:08.466 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
which itself is unique
and layout,

13:08.466 --> 13:10.700 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
there are burials,
the likes of which are not found

13:10.700 --> 13:12.300 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:57.5%
anywhere else in Copán,

13:12.300 --> 13:14.633 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
they're stacked
one on top of the other

13:14.633 --> 13:17.600 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
and they all have pottery
from their homeland.

13:17.866 --> 13:21.300 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
Copán was a magnet for ethnic
groups from all over

13:21.300 --> 13:22.766 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:60%
southeastern Mesoamerica

13:22.766 --> 13:23.833 align:start position:27.5% line:84.67% size:40%
in the Maya area

13:24.000 --> 13:27.233 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
and even farther afield over
into the Highlands and in Oaxaca

13:27.300 --> 13:27.966 align:start position:32.5% line:84.67% size:32.5%
and so forth.

13:27.966 --> 13:29.500 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:57.5%
So a lot of people here

13:29.500 --> 13:32.766 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
came for economic opportunities,
like in most cities.

13:35.300 --> 13:36.466 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:30%
[DAVID] This
hole in the ground

13:36.466 --> 13:38.700 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:70%
is pretty clearly important.

13:38.700 --> 13:42.766 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
[BILL] It█s really a vaulted
masonry tomb of the individuals

13:42.766 --> 13:45.100 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
laid to rest there,
who we believe

13:45.100 --> 13:48.433 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
lived in a vaulted
masonry building just above.

13:48.666 --> 13:50.733 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:25%
[DAVID] So
it's actually shaped like this.

13:50.733 --> 13:51.600 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:55%
[BILL] That's correct.

13:51.600 --> 13:53.166 align:start position:40% line:79.33% size:17.5%
[DAVID]
If you're inside looking out.

13:53.166 --> 13:53.766 align:start position:32.5% line:84.67% size:32.5%
[BILL] Yes-- 

13:54.200 --> 13:55.366 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
[DAVID] That takes
some engineering to build.

13:55.366 --> 13:56.000 align:start position:30% line:84.67% size:37.5%
[BILL] Oh, yes.

13:56.000 --> 13:58.733 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
[LATIN PERCUSSION]

13:58.733 --> 14:00.366 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:60%
This is the storage area

14:00.366 --> 14:01.800 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:57.5%
on a need-to-see basis 

14:01.800 --> 14:04.166 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
of the researchers
who have found these materials

14:04.166 --> 14:05.033 align:start position:30% line:84.67% size:37.5%
over the years.

14:05.033 --> 14:06.500 align:start position:22.5% line:84.67% size:52.5%
So among all of these

14:06.500 --> 14:10.366 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
pieces are many
that actually were associated

14:10.366 --> 14:13.166 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
with the longest lived
king in the city's history.

14:13.166 --> 14:16.266 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
This was our friend, Ruler
12, Smoke Jaguar,

14:16.533 --> 14:19.933 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
who was buried underneath
the first hieroglyphic stairway.

14:20.066 --> 14:24.400 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
And he decided to create
a set of images

14:24.400 --> 14:28.366 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
of all of his royal ancestors
and that's what we see here.

14:28.366 --> 14:32.866 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
These were on lids
on top of incense burners,

14:32.966 --> 14:36.100 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
and these are effigies
of his ancestors,

14:36.100 --> 14:38.466 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
including the famous K█inich Yax
K█uk█ Mo█,

14:38.466 --> 14:41.700 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
who you see with the same
lightning god goggles

14:41.700 --> 14:43.100 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:57.5%
that he had on Altar Q.

14:43.100 --> 14:45.133 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
He's the only king
who ever wears goggles

14:45.133 --> 14:47.700 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
and the most diagnostic
of the rest of them

14:47.700 --> 14:49.766 align:start position:22.5% line:84.67% size:50%
is this fellow here.

14:49.900 --> 14:51.266 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:80%
[DAVID] He's only got two teeth.

14:51.266 --> 14:54.233 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
[BILL] {LAUGHS} Yeah,
they're showing his age because

14:54.466 --> 14:58.200 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Ruler 12 was 93 years old
when he passed on.

14:58.333 --> 15:00.600 align:start position:22.5% line:84.67% size:52.5%
{LATIN GUITAR BEGINS}

15:00.600 --> 15:02.333 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:40%
[KARINA GARCIA] 
{IN SPANISH}

15:02.333 --> 15:04.066 align:start position:32.5% line:10% size:30%
Bueno, estoy
trabajando en el registro de

15:04.066 --> 15:05.266 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:40%
las esculturas--

15:05.266 --> 15:05.833 align:start position:32.5% line:10% size:32.5%
[TRANSLATION]
Right now, I'm

15:06.300 --> 15:07.900 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:50%
working on the Copán
Valley Sculpture Registry

15:07.900 --> 15:10.133 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

15:10.133 --> 15:10.833 align:start position:30% line:84.67% size:37.5%
And right here,

15:11.366 --> 15:13.633 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
we can see a photo of each one
with its registration number.

15:13.633 --> 15:16.200 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

15:16.200 --> 15:17.566 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:70%
During the first expeditions

15:17.566 --> 15:18.966 align:start position:32.5% line:84.67% size:32.5%
in the 1930s,

15:18.966 --> 15:20.533 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
the nomenclature began
with letters,

15:20.533 --> 15:22.200 align:start position:15% line:84.67% size:67.5%
but now we do it digitally.

15:22.200 --> 15:27.633 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
{SPEAKING SPANISH} ...de manera
digital.

15:27.633 --> 15:31.700 align:start position:22.5% line:84.67% size:50%
Esta es una bodega--

15:31.766 --> 15:33.166 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
[TRANSLATION] This is the 
warehouse where we store

15:33.166 --> 15:35.166 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
all the pieces found
in the Copán Valley.

15:35.166 --> 15:36.800 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

15:36.800 --> 15:38.766 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:25%
Right here
we have a huge, complete

15:38.766 --> 15:40.766 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:30%
“incensario”
or incense burner.

15:40.766 --> 15:42.466 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

15:42.466 --> 15:45.166 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
This bat is another
one of our most beautiful pieces

15:45.266 --> 15:47.200 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

15:47.200 --> 15:48.300 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:75%
These are the ones that go out

15:48.300 --> 15:49.800 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
to exhibitions
abroad

15:49.800 --> 15:51.466 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

15:51.566 --> 15:55.433 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
So far we have more than 33,000
registered pieces,

15:55.566 --> 15:56.033 align:start position:30% line:84.67% size:37.5%
but they're all

15:56.633 --> 15:59.033 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
from the first expeditions
in the 1970s and 80s.

15:59.133 --> 16:02.200 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

16:02.300 --> 16:06.166 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
[DAVID] The collection
here of sculptures is unlike

16:06.266 --> 16:08.300 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:75%
anywhere else in the Americas.

16:08.300 --> 16:09.166 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:47.5%
There are more here

16:09.533 --> 16:12.933 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
and and of higher quality than
any other archeological site.

16:13.133 --> 16:18.000 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
The number of artisans
that had to be talented enough

16:18.133 --> 16:21.400 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
to create these over
the centuries is

16:21.533 --> 16:23.266 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:60%
is almost beyond belief.

16:23.266 --> 16:27.633 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
And they could do all of this
with no steel tools.

16:27.633 --> 16:29.200 align:start position:22.5% line:84.67% size:52.5%
{LATIN GUITAR SWELLS}

16:29.200 --> 16:31.166 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
[BILL] Really
wonderful to have a place where

16:31.166 --> 16:33.266 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
all of this
can be stored together

16:33.266 --> 16:36.633 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
so the future generations
will not only have access to it

16:36.733 --> 16:39.266 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
for esthetic purposes,
but also for study.

16:39.266 --> 16:40.933 align:start position:40% line:79.33% size:17.5%
[DAVID]
And the material is Flint?

16:40.933 --> 16:42.533 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
[BILL] This is Flint,
and this is

16:42.533 --> 16:44.133 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:75%
really very difficult to work.

16:44.133 --> 16:47.000 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
Each one of these is a true
masterwork.

16:47.000 --> 16:48.133 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:55%
The Maya believed that

16:48.133 --> 16:51.933 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
lightning from the sky was fire,
that when it hit

16:51.933 --> 16:55.800 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
the earth, caused the Earth
to turn into fire stone.

16:56.033 --> 16:59.633 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
And so these are the product
of lightning striking the earth.

16:59.733 --> 17:03.733 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:55%
{UPBEAT GUITAR BEGINS}

17:03.833 --> 17:05.100 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:60%
We're coming into one of

17:05.100 --> 17:07.566 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
our longest tunnels
that runs north south.

17:07.566 --> 17:09.666 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
We like to have crosscutting
tunnels 

17:09.666 --> 17:11.200 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:62.5%
east, west, north, south.

17:11.200 --> 17:12.600 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:60%
None of them can surpass

17:12.600 --> 17:15.733 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
the tomb of Ruler 12, which is
where we're headed right now.

17:16.000 --> 17:21.966 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
Really impressive chamber,
eight meters long and over

17:21.966 --> 17:27.200 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
a meter and a half wide
with three elevated stones.

17:27.300 --> 17:30.133 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
So inside of the chamber,
with these three

17:30.133 --> 17:33.500 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:40%
very large slabs
that he was laid to rest on

17:33.600 --> 17:36.066 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
with all of his finery,
including

17:36.066 --> 17:39.500 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
a beautiful jade necklace
and a very long walking

17:39.500 --> 17:43.033 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
stick as a 93 year
old one can appreciate.

17:43.166 --> 17:46.033 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
And there were spondylus
shells, just beautiful

17:46.033 --> 17:49.600 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
things and all kinds of vessels
that had food offerings

17:49.600 --> 17:52.166 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
so that he would have plenty
to eat in the afterlife.

17:52.166 --> 17:56.466 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
And perhaps the most intriguing
thing were 50 paint pots

17:56.600 --> 17:59.866 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
that contained
red cinnabar paint.

17:59.933 --> 18:02.866 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
And presumably he was very fond
of painting things.

18:02.866 --> 18:08.033 align:start position:27.5% line:84.67% size:42.5%
{MUSIC CONCLUDES}

18:08.166 --> 18:12.900 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
And this is a panel
that was meant to be appreciated

18:12.900 --> 18:15.766 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:80%
and to be instantly recognizable

18:15.766 --> 18:19.300 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
as the name of the founder
of the dynasty.

18:19.433 --> 18:23.000 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
So it's two words
and their necks are intertwined.

18:23.100 --> 18:26.833 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
The bird on the left
has the crest of the Quetzal,

18:26.966 --> 18:28.333 align:start position:27.5% line:84.67% size:40%
has a red breast

18:28.333 --> 18:32.233 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
like the male Quetzal,
that has green tail feathers.

18:32.333 --> 18:35.100 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:70%
There is also a sun god face

18:35.100 --> 18:38.633 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
in the beak of each of the two
birds.

18:38.900 --> 18:40.400 align:start position:27.5% line:84.67% size:42.5%
“Kuk” is the name

18:40.400 --> 18:44.133 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
of the Quetzal bird over here
with this beautiful crest

18:44.233 --> 18:48.666 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
and this very interesting slit
eye and then {unintelligible}.

18:48.766 --> 18:51.900 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
The last part of the name is
our friend, the macaw here

18:51.900 --> 18:56.500 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
with this foot beak and the Sun
God face the red neck,

18:56.633 --> 19:02.566 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and then coming down to the
blue, green and yellow feathers.

19:02.666 --> 19:07.433 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
[ADELSO CANAN] 
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

19:07.433 --> 19:09.233 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
[TRANSLATION] Here,
there are geological faults.

19:09.233 --> 19:11.266 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:77.5%
So the buildings were in ruins.

19:11.266 --> 19:14.233 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
But as we excavated,
we could see their forms

19:14.433 --> 19:17.733 align:start position:15% line:10% size:67.5%
from platforms and terraces
to the stucco floors.

19:17.733 --> 19:20.433 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

19:21.233 --> 19:23.400 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:22.5%
[KARINA] 
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

19:23.400 --> 19:25.200 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
[TRANSLATION]
The collapse was quite strong.

19:25.200 --> 19:26.666 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:75%
For those of us who work here,

19:26.666 --> 19:28.766 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
that structure
is pretty important

19:28.766 --> 19:30.033 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
because that's
where we extracted

19:30.033 --> 19:32.466 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
the largest part of the
sculpture that we can register.

19:32.466 --> 19:35.200 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

19:35.200 --> 19:37.166 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:20%
[ADELSO]
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

19:37.166 --> 19:39.233 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
[TRANSLATION] The amount of
sculptures we were able to find

19:39.233 --> 19:41.300 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
on the surface
was really impressive.

19:41.300 --> 19:44.000 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
It showed us that
this is a very important place.

19:44.000 --> 19:46.800 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

19:48.033 --> 19:50.266 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

19:50.266 --> 19:52.800 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
[TRANSLATION] The site has a 
strong archeological connection

19:52.800 --> 19:54.833 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:30%
to my Chortí
heritage and ancestry.

19:54.833 --> 19:58.966 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

19:58.966 --> 20:00.100 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:20%
[KARINA]
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

20:00.100 --> 20:01.533 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
 [TRANSLATION]
I was born in Copán.

20:01.533 --> 20:05.566 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
I'm Copaneca, 100%, a Copaneca
who is very proud

20:05.566 --> 20:07.000 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:62.5%
of her cultural heritage.

20:07.000 --> 20:08.033 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:45%
{SPEAKING SPANISH}

20:08.033 --> 20:10.000 align:start position:30% line:84.67% size:35%
{MUSIC SWELLS}

20:10.000 --> 20:12.500 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
[BILL] So this is one of the
largest ball courts in

20:12.500 --> 20:15.233 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
Mesoamerica, also one of the
most beautifully decorated.

20:15.233 --> 20:19.033 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
They wanted to have everyone
celebrate the natural cycles,

20:19.033 --> 20:20.033 align:start position:35% line:84.67% size:27.5%
so they had

20:20.133 --> 20:22.866 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
the symbol of the sun,
this beautiful Scarlett Macaw

20:22.866 --> 20:24.533 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:80%
that you see all over the ruins.

20:24.533 --> 20:27.800 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
There were eight of them
on each of these buildings,

20:27.800 --> 20:30.766 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
and they symbolized
the movement of the sun,

20:31.000 --> 20:33.933 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
east-west, through these two
beautiful arches.

20:33.933 --> 20:36.433 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
And we're standing right
in the center of the universe.

20:36.433 --> 20:40.233 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
And and they're concerned
about the north south access too

20:40.233 --> 20:43.800 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
And so far as you know,
the movement of the

20:43.900 --> 20:47.233 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
heavenly bodies
and the game did have a very

20:47.233 --> 20:48.933 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:75%
strong agricultural component.

20:48.933 --> 20:53.233 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
Some of the floor markers
show rituals designed to have

20:53.533 --> 20:54.566 align:start position:27.5% line:84.67% size:42.5%
the maize sprout,

20:54.666 --> 20:58.866 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
and it's thought that
it could actually sprout out of

20:58.966 --> 21:02.400 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
the ball court, which is a
symbolic representation

21:02.500 --> 21:07.266 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
of the cleft in the mountains
where maize was born.

21:07.366 --> 21:10.833 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
This hieroglyphic
stairway constitutes the longest

21:10.833 --> 21:13.166 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
hieroglyphic inscription
in the New World

21:13.166 --> 21:14.933 align:start position:37.5% line:79.33% size:22.5%
bar none,
not just among the Maya.

21:14.933 --> 21:16.066 align:start position:35% line:84.67% size:25%
Any place.

21:16.166 --> 21:20.766 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
It's got over 1200 glyph blocks
within which there are glyphic

21:20.933 --> 21:24.466 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
elements that come up to 2400
or so telling

21:24.566 --> 21:27.533 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
the entire history
of this kingdom from the founder

21:27.733 --> 21:31.733 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
all the way to the 15th king
who's shown at the base of it.

21:31.866 --> 21:35.800 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:55%
So we have this record
of orderly dynastic succession,

21:35.800 --> 21:37.600 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
one king to the next
to the next.

21:37.600 --> 21:40.366 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
All in numbered sequence
from the founder

21:40.366 --> 21:43.900 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
who looms very large
in the entire narrative.

21:44.033 --> 21:47.533 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
The hieroglyphic stairway
was the reason that Copán was

21:47.533 --> 21:52.333 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
designated a World Heritage
Site by UNESCO way back in 1980.

21:52.333 --> 21:53.433 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:75%
It's actually one of the first

21:53.433 --> 21:56.033 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
archeological sites
to bring that distinction.

21:56.033 --> 22:00.033 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
It's such a signally important
monument, not just for Copán,

22:00.033 --> 22:05.400 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
but for humanity.
It needs to be protected.

22:05.500 --> 22:08.433 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:30%
So we do all
of these archeological tunnels

22:08.433 --> 22:12.266 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
here at Copán and liken it
to arthroscopic surgery.

22:12.266 --> 22:15.000 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
[DAVID] My, this is the base
of the temple we're going under.

22:15.000 --> 22:16.466 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
[BILL] Yes, absolutely. 
[DAVID] Oh my gosh.

22:16.466 --> 22:19.800 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
[BILL] We're going down
to ground zero, if you will.

22:19.900 --> 22:23.533 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
This is at the time
of the founding of the dynasty.

22:23.766 --> 22:28.300 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
And this other temple has
the very first stela in Copán.

22:28.300 --> 22:31.233 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
The base of it is still in situ
right here.

22:31.233 --> 22:33.066 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
And it has the name
of the founder

22:33.066 --> 22:34.700 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
and the place
where he came from.

22:34.700 --> 22:37.166 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
There's the middle section
of the Stela over there.

22:37.166 --> 22:40.133 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
That glyph happens to say
that ruler too,

22:40.200 --> 22:42.300 align:start position:15% line:84.67% size:67.5%
was the son of the founder.

22:42.300 --> 22:44.400 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
And over here
is the top of the steel

22:44.400 --> 22:46.566 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
of the real mother
lode of information

22:46.566 --> 22:48.966 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
on this side of the stela
we're looking at

22:48.966 --> 22:50.466 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:62.5%
in the count of the days,

22:50.466 --> 22:54.033 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
this is the number nine
rendered in a beautiful way.

22:54.166 --> 22:56.766 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
And then this is the period
for 400 years.

22:56.766 --> 22:58.600 align:start position:10% line:84.67% size:80%
Tunnel system is very extensive.

22:58.600 --> 23:01.600 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
It goes underneath
a great deal of the Acropolis

23:01.600 --> 23:04.133 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
and tells us about the life
and times

23:04.133 --> 23:07.800 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
of all of the succeeding rulers
that were building

23:08.033 --> 23:11.166 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:40%
immense building
complexes and accomplishing

23:11.266 --> 23:15.433 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
great feats as the successors
to the founder of Copán.

23:15.566 --> 23:16.366 align:start position:25% line:84.67% size:47.5%
But in the tunnels,

23:16.366 --> 23:17.966 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:62.5%
we uncovered all of these

23:17.966 --> 23:19.200 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:55%
earlier buildings, one

23:19.200 --> 23:21.466 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
built on top of the next,
on top of the next.

23:21.466 --> 23:25.300 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
So here we were fortunate enough
to find the layer of the onion

23:25.300 --> 23:28.566 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:45%
that's just before
the final hieroglyphic stairway.

23:28.700 --> 23:33.400 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
So my archeologist colleague
Cecia Flores is digging

23:33.400 --> 23:37.200 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
at the limit of the first
hieroglyphic stairway.

23:37.200 --> 23:39.733 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
[DAVID] Where she is now
is where the original staircase.

23:39.733 --> 23:41.300 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:70%
[BILL] That█s exactly right.

23:41.300 --> 23:43.600 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
[LUKE HOLLIS]
Over four kilometers of tunnels

23:43.600 --> 23:46.600 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:35%
in total, now,
we've mapped in this 3D scan.

23:46.866 --> 23:49.933 align:start position:35% line:10% size:27.5%
This is the
Web viewer that we use for

23:50.066 --> 23:50.900 align:start position:22.5% line:10% size:52.5%
looking at all of the

23:50.900 --> 23:53.966 align:start position:37.5% line:10% size:20%
3D scans
that we've created with LIDAR.

23:54.233 --> 23:59.166 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:75%
And so this tunnel system here
allows anyone

23:59.300 --> 24:03.100 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
now with an Internet connection
to go walk through

24:03.233 --> 24:06.566 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
any of the places
that you've seen today.

24:06.666 --> 24:08.433 align:start position:40% line:79.33% size:15%
[BILL]
So the Institute of Anthropology

24:08.433 --> 24:12.900 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
is just tremendously interested
in this because they want this

24:12.900 --> 24:15.266 align:start position:30% line:79.33% size:37.5%
to be something
that every Honduran school kid

24:15.266 --> 24:17.500 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
can access,
which they'll be able to do

24:17.500 --> 24:19.233 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
as soon as they get
a web connection.

24:19.233 --> 24:21.500 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
And all the schools,
of course, are getting online.

24:21.500 --> 24:24.633 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
So this way
they'll be able to travel Copán

24:24.633 --> 24:27.633 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
and its deepest secrets
without leaving the classroom.

24:27.766 --> 24:34.600 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:60%
{HOPEFUL GUITAR PICKING}

24:34.733 --> 24:38.100 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:65%
[DAVID] The Mayas of Copán
gave us the greatest

24:38.100 --> 24:42.866 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
contributions of Maya, artistry
and Maya writing.

24:42.866 --> 24:47.366 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:62.5%
The history they provided
us, of those 400 years of Maya

24:47.366 --> 24:51.566 align:start position:15% line:79.33% size:67.5%
ascendancy are incomparable
in the history of the world.

24:51.700 --> 24:54.633 align:start position:20% line:79.33% size:57.5%
After 400 years, things
began to fall apart.

24:54.900 --> 24:56.666 align:start position:12.5% line:84.67% size:72.5%
The reasons for that collapse

24:56.666 --> 24:58.700 align:start position:32.5% line:79.33% size:32.5%
are something
that we can learn from

24:58.700 --> 25:02.166 align:start position:17.5% line:79.33% size:60%
because we face the same
problems in our world now.

25:02.300 --> 25:06.400 align:start position:27.5% line:84.67% size:42.5%
{MUSIC CONCLUDES}

25:10.533 --> 25:13.366 align:start position:25% line:79.33% size:47.5%
Join us next time, 
In The Americas

25:13.366 --> 25:16.033 align:start position:20% line:84.67% size:57.5%
 with me, David Yetman.

25:16.133 --> 25:19.433 align:start position:10% line:10% size:77.5%
More than a thousand years ago,
an indigenous people

25:19.433 --> 25:23.866 align:start position:25% line:10% size:45%
of southern Mexico
developed a new small empire

25:23.966 --> 25:26.466 align:start position:20% line:10% size:55%
with enormous artistic
creativity

25:26.466 --> 25:29.366 align:start position:27.5% line:10% size:42.5%
and able to build
monumental architecture.

25:29.366 --> 25:32.333 align:start position:15% line:10% size:67.5%
Today, only two small towns
remain.

25:32.333 --> 25:35.333 align:start position:17.5% line:10% size:62.5%
They retain their ancient
artistic creations,

25:35.600 --> 25:38.233 align:start position:37.5% line:10% size:22.5%
and their
language is alive and well.

25:38.233 --> 25:40.966 align:start position:15% line:10% size:65%
{SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE}

25:40.966 --> 25:42.066 align:start position:17.5% line:84.67% size:62.5%
[BILL] So at a eye level,

25:42.066 --> 25:45.033 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:77.5%
they have actually the earliest
part of the inscription

25:45.133 --> 25:49.900 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:72.5%
that was part of the funerary
temple of the the 12th ruler

25:49.900 --> 25:53.033 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:52.5%
who we see right here
with his puma headdress.

25:53.166 --> 25:57.033 align:start position:27.5% line:79.33% size:42.5%
And this story is
that of events in his lifetime

25:57.033 --> 25:58.500 align:start position:22.5% line:84.67% size:50%
and then his burial,

25:58.500 --> 26:00.533 align:start position:22.5% line:79.33% size:50%
and then the rituals
that were performed then,

26:00.533 --> 26:04.100 align:start position:10% line:79.33% size:80%
and then another ritual that was
performed seven years later.

26:04.100 --> 26:09.000 align:start position:12.5% line:79.33% size:70%
And the archeological record
corroborates this.

26:11.966 --> 26:13.700 align:start position:35% line:79.33% size:27.5%
[ANNOUNCER]
Funding for In The Americas

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with David
Yetman was provided by Robert

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and Carol Dorsey,

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the Gilford Fund,

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Arch and Laura Brown,

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and Hugh and Joyce Bell