Little is known of the rulers of Copán before the founding of a new
dynasty with its origins at Tikal in the early 5th century AD, although the city's
origins can be traced back to the Preclassic period. After this, Copán became
one of the more powerful Maya city states and was a regional power in the
southern Maya region, although it suffered a catastrophic defeat at the hands
of its former vassal state Quirigua in
