The Spaniards described a particular type of Maya building found in
the center of Maya cities that served multiple functions, from
temporary homes for men and boys to council houses. This type of
building, labeled a popol nah at Copan, was noted in Yucatan
and the highlands of Guatemala. Two probable popol nahs,
Structures 10L-223 and 10L-22A, have been identified at Copan,
Honduras, suggesting continuity in this building type into at least the
Maya Late Classic period. The differences between the two structures in
both location and form support the idea of competing lineages in the
Late Classic. These differences also suggest that the later rulers may
have transformed earlier multifunction buildings into more specific
functions that served their political needs.