 It is estimated that the peak population in central Copán was between 6000 and 9000 in an area of , with a further 9,000 to 12,000 inhabitants occupying the periphery—an area of .Additionally, there was an estimated rural population of 3,000 to 4,000 in a area of the Copán Valley, giving an estimated total population of 18,000 to 25,000 people in the valley during the Late Classic period.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.