New
New
Year 6

The mysteries of the Copan tomb

I can describe what archaeologists found at the Copán tomb.

New
New
Year 6

The mysteries of the Copan tomb

I can describe what archaeologists found at the Copán tomb.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In 1993 archaelogists discovered a magnificent tomb in the Honduran city complex of Copán.
  2. Inside the tomb they found the remains of a person covered in red cinnabar and surrounded with shell and jade ornaments.
  3. Around the human remains were burnt offerings of birds, turtles and fish.
  4. Due to the things she was buried with the archaeologists think that these were the remains of an important woman.
  5. She was either a ruler, or the wife or mother of a ruler, of a group of people who lived at Copán called the Maya.

Keywords

  • Honduras - Honduras is a country in Central America

  • Cinnabar - cinnabar is a bright red mineral made of mercury (a shiny liquid metal) and sulphur (a yellow chemical).

  • Offering - an offering is something that is given to a god as a part of a religious ceremony

Common misconception

Queen Margarita was buried in the queen's tomb discovered by archaeologists in 1993 in Copan.

While the tomb is known as the Margarita Tomb, the name does not necessarily refer to an individual named Margarita.

Create the scene: Imagine being an archaeologist at Copán. The climate there is humid and tropical and you are surrounded by lush vegetation, rolling hills and river valleys. One of your colleagues gasps: they have unearthed an untouched tomb buried deep in the heart of the acropolis.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these are non-European countries?
France
Correct answer: Honduras
Correct answer: Nigeria
Germany
Correct answer: Mexico
Q2.
Match the word to its meaning.
Correct Answer:culture,the ideas, customs and social behaviour of a particular society

the ideas, customs and social behaviour of a particular society

Correct Answer:traditions,beliefs, behaviours or customs passed down within a society

beliefs, behaviours or customs passed down within a society

Correct Answer:history,events that happened in the past

events that happened in the past

Q3.
What does 'ancient civilisation' mean?
people with old-fashioned manners
a group of old people
Correct answer: a human society from a very long time ago in history
dinosaurs
Q4.
What does CE stand for?
Correct Answer: common era, Common Era, Common era, common Era
Q5.
Match the words to their meaning.
Correct Answer:CE,events after the year 1

events after the year 1

Correct Answer:BCE,events before the year 1

events before the year 1

Q6.
Which of these is NOT an ancient civilisation?
Shang
Correct answer: Victorian
Indus Valley
Sumerian

6 Questions

Q1.
The country of Honduras is in America.
Correct Answer: Central, central
Q2.
Copan in Honduras was the home of which ancient civilisation?
Egyptian
Indus Valley
Correct answer: Maya
Shang
Q3.
A is a burial chamber often found underground.
Correct Answer: tomb, Tomb
Q4.
Match the word to its meaning.
Correct Answer:cinnabar,a red mineral

a red mineral

Correct Answer:jade,a green gemstone

a green gemstone

Correct Answer:offerings,gifts for a god

gifts for a god

Q5.
What was NOT found in the Margarita Tomb?
the remains of a female
offerings of birds, fish and turtles
cinnabar, shells and jade ornaments
Correct answer: a television
Q6.
Archaeologists think that the remains in the Margarita Tomb belong to a .
person called Margarita
nobleman
Correct answer: female ruler, or the wife or mother of a ruler

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