PXL_20250424_231528435

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 07:49:22 +0100

THE TOMB OF PAKAL THE GREAT

Deep within the pyramid of the Temple of the Inscriptions, Pakal's burial crypt continues to amaze us. In this reproduction, we see details now lost, but visible when it was discovered in 1952 by Dr. Alberto Ruz: the sweat and body heat of millions of visitors have deteriorated the stucco reliefs, so access to this unique monument in Mesoamerica is now restricted.

The sarcophagus and lid were carved from a single block of stone; their weight and size suggest they were built before the pyramid.

The relief on the lid depicts Pakal as a vigorous adult, falling into the jaws of the White Bone Serpent, one of the entrances to the underworld.
In the background, a cross represents the ceiba tree, the center of the world. The cup reaches the heavens, and upon it rests
Itzam Yeh, the celestial bird that accompanies the god Itzamnaaj.

The inscription on the edge of the lid gives the death dates
of eight generations of rulers
preceding Pakal, from 524 to 643 CE, the year
his father died. The inscription on the front refers to his
birth in 603 and his death in 683, and states that
he was the son of Na Sak K'uk' (Lady White Quetzal) and
K'an Mo' Hix (Precious Jaguar Macaw). The
preceding rulers, portrayed on the sides
of the sarcophagus, emerge from a fissure in the earth along
with a tree, signifying their transformation into
venerated ancestors and the constant
regeneration of life.

The stucco figures on the walls could be
the Nine Lords of the Night, ruling deities
of the underworld in the Popol Vuh, or warriors
protecting the deceased; They carry scepters with the image
of K'awiil, deity of royalty and rulers.