Copan was an important classic Mayan site situated on the eastern frontier of Mesoamerica. Between 400 AD and 800 AD, Copan was the capital of a powerful state. From its valley in Honduras it occupied a several hundred kilometer area. At its height it had one of the densest populations of any Classic Mayan city. Early communities settled in this valley as long ago as 1000 BC. The 5th century saw the rise of Mayan classic architecture and the formations of the first dynasties. Under its 12th ruler Smoke Imix (628 - 695 AD), the city consolidated its power reaching a poulation of 27 thousand. Later centuries saw the decline of the ruling elite, eventually fragmenting into clans. By the 13th century the city had become largely abandoned.