instead, barbara and bill fash think it might symbolize a family or region on the king's council. what we think is they were sending in their head person, their head person of the mat, to be here at the main community house in the central part of the site core. and here they were conferring and meeting with the head ruler at the time. keach: so this fish, like the other glyphs between the mats, might name a member of the king's council. but these glyphs have also been interpreted as religious icons. the symbolism is not specific enough to confirm that the building is indeed a council house. archaeologists cast a still wider net to look at other evidence of life in eighth century copan. 18 rabbit had been captured and killed. the hieroglyphic staircase was built by his successors in an attempt to restore their prestige. was the council house also a reaction to the death of 18 rabbit ? moving away from the royal center, archaeologists turn their attention to the important families of the copan valley. how powerful were the heads of these lineages ? might they have sat in council wit