Copan: Day 6

Good news! I can show you guys all the photos I took today. Bad news: I only took three pictures today. That's not to say today wasn't just as exciting as any other day, believe you me. We went to look at one of the valley stela today, Stela 10, which involved a ten-minute-or-so hike up a very steep and slippery hill. Here's a look down at what we just climbed:

It's hard to tell how steep the hill was from this picture, but rest assured it was a climb. By the time we reached the stela we were all gasping for air and sweating profusely, but the sight we saw was more than worth it.

From the summit you could see the entire valley, which is likely the reason why this stela was placed where it was. In fact, on a clear today (unfortunately, not today) you can see Stela 12 three or four kilometers away. The hike up to Stela 12, however, is much longer and more arduous, taking about 3 hours. We didn't get up to Stela 12 today (thank goodness!), but when Bill and Barbara hiked up to draw it, they had to camp there overnight.

Stela 10, aside from being at an amazing vantage point, also sits at the site of a battle. During the Honduran Revolution, a skirmish broke out around the stela, and a man was shot and killed. One grad student at the field school a few years ago had a keen eye and noticed a bullet hole near the bottom of the stela. He dug a test pit and, sure enough, he found the casing. What can't archaeology do?

And finally, a modern bent on an ancient tradition:

This living cross was found nearby Stela 10. In ancient times, during holy celebrations, the Maya would make great pilgrimages in order to symbolically carry and release their stresses or weights. They would take a rock or stone from their residence and walk along the Camino Real until reaching a resting place. There they would put down their stone, pick up another one, and continue on their journey. At the next resting place, they would exchange rocks, and so on and so forth. Today, locals continue the tradition during holy week, using rest stops like the one you see here. Their destination is the Catholic capital of Esquipulas, and people from as far away as 10 days will make the trip along the same Camino Real.

After Stela 10 we hiked up to the site of Rio Amarillo, still shrouded in forest. What look like hills are actually temples buried in trees. Amazing.

We also continued epigraphy today, and learned an interesting story about the king nicknamed "Divine Penis," amongst other, more colorful names. I will be sure to tell this story later. But for now, ponder the possibilities.