Before
Stela C by Alfred Maudslay, 1889
This square stone column, called a "stela," is about 14 feet high and three
feet wide and is located about 120 feet north of the famous Copan ruins
in modern-day Honduras. When this photograph was taken in 1889, the stela on
the left had broken into pieces. Vines and creepers had penetrated the stone
and bound the fallen part to the earth. Stela C was built around the late
seventh century under the rule of a man known as Washaklahun Ubah.
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After
Stela C by Merle Greene Robertson, 1987
This photograph, taken in 1987, shows the same stela restored to its standing
position. The vegetation has been cleared away, revealing the figure of an
elaborately-dressed man. The site of Copan is particularly known for its
three-dimensional sculpture, such as this stela. One explorer from the early
19th century, John Lloyd Stephens, described this stela as equaling the
workmanship of the best Egyptian remains.
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