Beneath the surface of present-day western Honduras lie the ruins of Copán—an archaeological site that once stood as a vital city in the classic Maya world, situated at the crossroads between Central and South America. Recent genetic analysis of seven individuals from the area, including a potential royal and a sacrificial burial, revealed that the people of classic Copán had genetic similarities with late archaic (5,600–3,700 years ago) populations, later Maya groups, and modern Maya communities in Mexico. A Dramatic Decline: End of An Era? This study published in Current Biology found signs of a dramatic decline—but not complete disappearance—of the Maya population around 1200 years ago. Copán became home to humans as early as the Early Preclassic period (before
