The mysteries of the Copan tomb
I can describe what archaeologists found at the Copán tomb.
The mysteries of the Copan tomb
I can describe what archaeologists found at the Copán tomb.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- In 1993 archaelogists discovered a magnificent tomb in the Honduran city complex of Copán.
- Inside the tomb they found the remains of a person covered in red cinnabar and surrounded with shell and jade ornaments.
- Around the human remains were burnt offerings of birds, turtles and fish.
- Due to the things she was buried with the archaeologists think that these were the remains of an important woman.
- 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.
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.
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
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).
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Starter quiz
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Exit quiz
6 Questions
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