Foundation News

The Copan Maya Foundation has been making positive change in Copan for over eight years. From community consulting, producing teachers' Maya handbooks, designing children's education centres and studying feasibility of agricultural products and demonstration gardens, the Copan Maya Foundation is committed making positive change at a grass roots level in this region of Honduras. Through community dialogue, creative programming and intelligent execution of projects, the resources managed by the Copan Maya Foundation have become a respected model and influence.

For the coming year, 2008, in order to help Honduran and international scholars collaborate on Copan research; Copan Maya Foundation continues to seek funding for the construction of a Mesoamerican library. This facility will serve as a tremendous resource to the many scholars who work toward understanding our ancient Maya past.

CMF has been hosting training seminars to educate the guides at the ancient ruins site of Copan. These seminars have included among others, the descendants of the ancient Maya; the modern Ch’orti’ as attendants. Every participant has benefited from this continuing education. These training seminars provide a vehicle for scholars to offer their knowledge to the public through the “mouthpiece” of local guides.

The Expansion of Casa Kínich Maya Learning Centre was completed in the first quarter of 2008. The new centre has twice the space in addition to a new store featuring educational toys, souvenirs, and books. The location opens up a new area of Copan to visitors from all over the world. Casa Kínich is now located in its permanent location in Fuerte Cabañas, a rescued and renovated building that overlooks the ancient ruins and the modern village of Copan

The re-publication of the Casa Kínich Learning Centre Guide, the teacher’s handbook originally released in 2005, is currently being re-edited and will be released shortly. This guide greatly aids in the teaching of children visiting from around Honduras. These books are free to teachers and are published in Spanish. The English version of this Guidebook is the seventh most downloaded article off of the FAMSI informational website.

Archaeological samples from excavations in Oropendola will be given laboratory analysis and results will be published. Samples and a study of Rosalila´s paint composition will also be analysed. Visiting students from universities in the United States will be analysing and exploring geotourism and astro-archaeology, new and exciting fields of discovery in the Maya world.

At the close of 2007, Copan Maya Foundation facilitated the ongoing investigation and consolidation of Temple 16 (Rosalila and Oropendola). Also during 2007, two publications were released , the first a new book by Ricardo Agurcia F., with beautiful photography by David Beyl. Kingdom of the Sun. The second publication was a re-write of the official guidebook for the ancient Ruins of Copan ¨A History Carved in Stone¨. This handbook has been completely re-written by authors Ricardo Agurcia F. and William Fash.

Copan Maya Foundation in tandem with The Copan Association facilitated in the logistics of the III International Congress at Copan ¨The Art of Power in the Mundo Maya¨. In June 2007, Copan was again asked to host this highly successful international event as it did in 2001 when the II International Congress at Copan ¨Science, Art and Religion in the Mundo Maya.¨ was presented. At the III Congress, twenty speakers from all over the world were hosted in he village in addition to the 500 attendees. For five days Copan was once again the epicentre of activity solely focusing on Maya Culture. Events included an Ancient Ritual Ballgame, a Gastronomic Festival with over twenty dishes known to the ancient habitants of this valley and a concert on the last evening given by modern Honduran Musical artists. Research grants were provided to tour guides of the Maya Ruins as well as to scholars from the Chorti Maya to attend this international event at no cost. This ensured that economically challenged participants were able to attend.

In 2006, CMF collaborated in the refurbishing of the Sculpture Museum, which was originally constructed in 1996. The Sculpture Museum houses many of the most important sculptures in the Copan Valley. Because of deterioration in the building´s construction, it had to be repaired. It was reopened in 2007.

Winding through the Copan Valley, nature trails were built that have incorporated outlying, rarely visited Maya stelae, (carved stone monuments). Also added were markers with commentaries from leading biologists referencing unique regional plants, mammals, butterflies and birds. In 2005 Copan Maya Foundation also funded initial plans for maps, signs, and guidebooks. A need for funds for the implementation and training for local guides continues.

In 2005, CMF began reforestation projects through the local elementary schools in Copan. Seedlings were distributed and planted throughout the valley. This was the first year that the Casa Kínich Teacher´s Guidebooks were printed through funding by CMF.

From 2001 until 2004, CMF raised funds for the many lecture series that were being held throughout the world to update and inform the general public about the gentle and fragile balance between the environment and the population.