Los mayas y los otros: integración y distinción cultural en el paisaje urbano y rural de Copán

Research at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Copán reveals how Maya elites strategically integrated a multi-ethnic population through cultural identity formation. By analyzing epigraphic, archaeological, and bioarchaeological data alongside settlement patterns, the study demonstrates that Copán's peripheral location relative to the Maya heartland allowed its ruling class to adopt and adapt high-status cultural elements from Tikal (5th century CE) as a unifying ideological tool. This approach sheds new light on how peripheral Maya states maintained political cohesion while distinguishing themselves culturally, offering insights into the dynamics of identity and power in Classic-period Mesoamerica.

Kupprat, F. (2019). Los mayas y los otros: integración y distinción cultural en el paisaje urbano y rural de Copán. Journal de La Société Des Américanistes, 105(1), 41–70. https://doi.org/10.4000/jsa.16845