Assessment Questions 12.2

1. What characterized Copán's urban core during its peak in the late eighth century A.D.?

The urban core of Copán featured pyramids, altars, stelae, elite homes, and a ball court where ceremonial games were played. The area had a dense population, with an estimated 20,000 inhabitants, and was a center of power and cultural activity.

2. What was unique about the Hieroglyphic Stairway at Copán's pyramid in the Principal Group?

The Hieroglyphic Stairway represented the longest continuous written inscription in the New World. It was intensively carved with hieroglyphs on the risers, conveying detailed messages about the legitimacy and life histories of the city's rulers.

3. How did Copán's neighborhoods differ from those in other ancient civilizations like Harappa or Teotihuacán?

Unlike the regularly laid out neighborhoods of Harappa or Teotihuacán, Copán's neighborhoods seemed to develop informally and ad hoc, growing organically rather than following a master urban plan.