Discovering an ancient Maya king’s tomb at Palenque
The Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico
Deep in the thick rainforest of Chiapas, Mexico, archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier would stumble upon one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century. In 1949, Ruz began excavating the tallest building at the ancient Maya site of Palenque, known today as the Temple of Inscriptions. As Ruz excavated the temple, he became intrigued by a row of small holes in the floor. Curious, he lifted the heavy flagstones to reveal a stairway filled in with rubble. Ruz knew that he’d found something remarkable.
What he didn’t know was that it would lead to the tomb of Palenque’s greatest ruler: K’inich Janaab’ Pakal.
Digging through rubble
Ruz and his team spent years emptying the rubble from the staircase that led down into the bowels of the temple. They didn’t exactly know what they would find. This stairway tunnel is 80-feet long, so you can imagine the patience and dedication of the archaeological team to remove the rubble.
Head of K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, stucco, Maya culture, Classic period, National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
(Photo: Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Along the way, they found rich, beautiful objects that led them to believe that they were digging toward something of great significance. They found jade beads and earplugs, human remains, sculptured heads (later identified as Pakal!), shells, and more. Several doorways created barriers that the archaeologists had to bypass. But after getting past the third door, they entered into a tomb chamber, filled with an enormous stone sarcophagus.
Recreation of the tomb and sarcophagus of K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, Palenque, Classic period, Maya culture, National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
(Photo: Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Imagine the excitement they felt at discovering a chamber and a sarcophagus that is beautifully carved with imagery. Still, they had yet to find their greatest treasure: what was inside the sarcophagus.
They finally were able to push the stone slab covering the sarcophagus to see inside, and there they found Pakal himself, covered in jade. He’d rested in silence for more than 1,200 years.
King Pakal of Palenque
On August 28, 683 CE, K’inich Janaab’ Pakal died at 81 years old in the ancient Maya city of Palenque. He’d ruled since he was 12 years old—making him one of the longest ruling monarchs in world history. But he’s not just famous for his long life and reign. He’s also famous for transforming the city of Palenque and for constructing a massive tomb for himself.
Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico
Pakal constructed many buildings in Palenque, including the well-known Temple of the Inscriptions. He chose this temple as his final resting place, so before construction even began he had sculptors carve out the crypt of his tomb from bedrock. He then had them transport a massive single block of limestone into the crypt that was carved inside and out—this would serve as his sarcophagus or the container for his body. It was only then that the pyramid was constructed around and on top of the tomb.
Pakal’s sarcophagus and all his jade
Pakal’s decorated sarcophagus is one of the most famous objects in ancient Maya art—and certainly in Mesoamerican art. The carved top and sides show complex imagery related to the cosmos. It includes images of nobles on the side too. But the most important image is on the top of the lid.
Drawing of Pakal’s sarcophagus lid
Pakal’s sarcophagus lid is dense with imagery! Archaeologists like to use line drawings, like this one, to make it easier to make out what is shown on the lid.
A large tree in the shape of a cross rises upward. Pakal is at the base, looking toward the top with his knees raised—almost like he is falling backward. He’s wearing a lot of green jade ornaments and other clothing that relate him to the Maize God, one of the most important deities in the Maya pantheon. Maize was the most important crop for the ancient Maya and so the Maize God (Hun Hunahpu) symbolized life and vegetation. He also symbolized the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and even the cycle of the seasons. With its beautiful green color, jade was connected to maize and vegetation, as well as life and the cycle of life, for the ancient Maya.
Funerary Mask and jewelry of K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, Palenque, Maya culture, Classic period, National Museum of Anthropology
(Photo: Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
What makes this depiction even more exciting is that when archaeologists managed to slide the lid off the sarcophagus and look inside, they found Pakal’s body covered in jade ornaments. His body was also covered in cinnabar, a red ore (oxidized mercury and so toxic) that the Maya and other cultures in Mesoamerica used to symbolize life, preciousness, blood, and even the afterlife! It is commonly found in Maya royal burials. A jade mask covered Pakal’s face. And all of these helped to transform him, once again, into the Maize God!
Jade mosaic masks
Pakal’s jade mosaic mask is stunning, but it is not unique. Other jade masks belonging to Maya royals have been found at Palenque and other sites.
Jade mosaic mask of the Red Queen, Palenque
complete with jade ear ornaments, necklaces, and headdress
(Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, CC BY-SA 4.0)
A woman named The Red Queen at Palenque (Lady Tz’akbu Ajaw) and thought to be Pakal’s wife wore a similar jade mosaic mask to the afterlife. Her body and tomb were also covered in a thick layer of cinnabar, giving her the nickname “Red Queen.” In 2021, at the site of Chochkitam in Guatemala, an archaeological team led by Francisco Estrada-Belli found an untouched tomb of an ancient Maya king that dates to around 350 CE. And guess what? This king, who lived hundreds of years before Pakal, also wore a jade mosaic mask into the afterlife.
Pakal’s tomb revealed a lot about ancient Maya beliefs and culture—and some of the most amazing objects and things were found in the tomb! But there is still much to learn about Pakal, Palenque, and the ancient Maya world more broadly. Still, there is no denying that Ruz’s discovery helped us to learn a great deal about ancient Maya culture. I’m excited to see what archaeologists uncover next!
Death mask of the Maya king, Pakal
One of the most amazing archaeological discoveries of the 20th century was the tomb of Pakal, the most famous ancient Maya king known today.
Learn more
Read more about the discovery of the 1,700-year-old jade mask found in a royal tomb at Chochkitam in Guatemala (Smithsonian Magazine).
Read a great blog post about the Red Queen and other women of power in the ancient Americas (by Joanne Pillsbury, curator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art).
If you are looking for research books, I recommend Janaab’ Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler, edited by Vera Tiesler and Andrea Cucina (Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 2006).
I also recommend the book by David Stuart and George Stuart, Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya (Thames and Hudson, 2008).
