View of a corner of the East Court. The loose stones strewn over the steps in the middle ground are all sculpted pieces meant to fit together to form complex mosaics that conveyed information regarding the functions of the different buildings. It has been said that Copanecs resorted to their famous mosaic stonework and three-dimensional sculpture because of a critical shortage of stucco with which to model the imagery on their buildings. This shortage would also have led to lime mortar being abandoned in favor of a mud-based one, which resulted in the collapse of buildings (and their mosaic motifs) once the city was abandoned and upkeep of its buildings discontinued.