gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary

Núñez Chinchilla describes a group of carved jade plaques from the Maya ruins of Copán, documenting their forms, workmanship, and iconography and illustrating several important examples. The pieces include anthropomorphic and supernatural figures carved in low relief and perforated for suspension, indicating their use as pendants or components of elite personal ornaments. Particular attention is given to recurring facial features, headdresses, bodily postures, and other symbolic elements that permit comparison with representations in Maya sculpture and with jade objects from other Mesoamerican sites. One of the objects illustrated in the article, later identified with the Principal Bird Deity, depicts a seated supernatural figure and has become an important comparative example in studies of Early Classic Maya jade imagery. The paper provides an early archaeological record of Copán’s carved jade ornaments and emphasizes their significance as objects of high status and ceremonial importance within Maya culture.