 Photo: ChanChan Tupac 2003
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Temple of Inscriptions |
Not only is this one of the most impressive
pyramids built by the Maya, it was the first pyramid on the continent
where a tomb was found. Besides this three hieroglyphic panels
were found, containing a wealth of information on Palenque's
Dynastic history.
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Glyph of Lord Shield Pakal |
The Temple got its name from
the three stucco panels with hieroglyphic inscriptions that were
found on the walls of the Temple. So far only part of the, in
total, 617 glyphs have been deciphered. |
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The tomb
In 1952 Alberto Ruz Lhuillier had
found the royal tomb of the Maya ruler.
In a chamber of 9x4 metres and a height of nearly 7 metres he
found a sarcophagus with a huge limestone lid, weighing about
5 tons, with such an estonishing decoration, that there still
are a lot of people trying to figure out what the meaning of
this image was.
This was the tomb of one of the great rulers of Palenque, Lord
Shield Pakal, also known as The
Great Pacal or Lord Shield Pakal
Born in 602, he accessed the throne in 615 at the age of 12.
After a reign of 68 years he died in 683. and was buried in the
Temple of Inscriptions that was built during his reign. |
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This jade mask, representing Pakal was
found in pieces on his face, the chamber itself was filled with
rubble, pottery, shells and pieces of jade. There were five or
six bodies found in the antechamber, probably they were sacrificed
to acompany Pakal on his journey through the Underworld (Xibalba). |
Resources:
Mundo
Maya About Pakal's tomb
Mesoweb
Explanation of the glyph of Pakal
Check this out:
PARI
Website of the Precolumbian Art Research Institute
Palenque
at AncientX.com For more information on the stucture
of the tomb
Temple
of the Inscriptions Tablets at Mesoweb Images of the
three hieroglyphic panels
Rulers
of Palenque at Mesoweb Joel Skidmore describes the
Palenque dynasty on the basis of the glyphs
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Construction Zone
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Featured January 9 , 2008
