The discovery, announced yesterday at a symposium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, could give scholars a rare glimpse into one of the least known periods of life in Copan, the largest and most prosperous city-state at the southern frontier of the Maya Indians' empire in its heyday. But the discoverers, a team of archeologists from Honduras and the University Museum in Philadelphia,emphasized that they have had little more than a peek inside the stone chamber and that it will be several months before they can definitively assess the tomb's significance in the history of the enigmatic Mayan civilization. The sixth-century date was estimated on the basis of pottery styles, and the tomb's location and furnishings. Other scholars said they would withhold comment until the contents of the tomb were more thoroughly analyzed. But they said such a discovery showed that even an archeological site as well worked over the years as Copan has been could still yield tantalizing surprises.
Royal tombs are among the most prized discoveries in archeology.
Who Ruled Dr. Robert J. Sharer, an anthropologist at the University Museum, said the chamber could be the tomb of one of four rulers who dominated Mayan politics in the sixth century. These kings are known to archeologists as Water Lily Jaguar, two successors known simply as Rulers 8 and 9, and Moon Jaguar, who belonged to a dynasty that reigned until the sudden and inexplicable collapse of Copan early in the ninth century. You get a considerable amount of material, all made and used at the same time. Since it reflects funerary ritual, the material is important in understanding a society's belief systems. The announcement of the discovery was made by Jose Maria Casco of the Institute of Anthropology and History of Honduras.