Pakal's tomb discovered in Temple of Inscriptions in 1952. Pakal died on August 28th, 683 CE at age 80 His son K'inich K'uk' Bahlam completed the Temple of Inscriptions as his tomb The tomb is accessed through an interior staircase and contains a 20-ton sarcophagus lid (15-ton base, 5-ton top)
Pakal died August 28, 683 CE at age 81. His son K'inich K'uk' Bahlam II completed the Temple of Inscriptions as his tomb, containing a 20-ton sarcophagus lid. The lid shows Pakal falling through the World Tree into the underworld to be reborn among gods and ancestors. Alberto Ruz Lhuillier opened it in 1952. 🕯️
Key Facts
- Pakal died on August 28th, 683 CE at age 80
- His son K'inich K'uk' Bahlam completed the Temple of Inscriptions as his tomb
- The tomb is accessed through an interior staircase and contains a 20-ton sarcophagus lid (15-ton base, 5-ton top)
- The sarcophagus lid shows Pakal falling down the World Tree (axis mundi) into the underworld to be reborn among gods and ancestors
- The temple contains 617 hieroglyphs across three panels telling his story and connecting him to the Palenque triad god G1
- The inscriptions indicate the Maya calendar would not reset until 4,772 CE (20 baktuns, not 13)
- Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz opened the tomb in June 1952
Related site: Palenque — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Pakal: The Most Famous Maya Ruler Ever by Archaeologist Ed Barnhart