Copán is an archaeological site of the
Maya civilization located in the
Copán Department of western
Honduras, not far from the border with
Guatemala. It was the capital city of a major
Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD. The city was located in the extreme southeast of the
Mesoamerican cultural region, on the frontier with the
Isthmo-Colombian cultural region, and was almost surrounded by non-
Maya peoples. In this fertile valley now lies a city of about 3000, a small airport, and a winding road.