PXL_20250424_231836654

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

FUNERARY GOODS OF PAKAL THE GREAT

The funerary crypt of the Temple of the Inscriptions,
in Palenque, is perhaps the most complex mausoleum
of the Classic period, designed to contain the mortal remains
of K'inich Hanab Pakal, or Pakal the Great.

The sarcophagus contained the body wrapped in a funerary bundle
and covered with cinnabar, a highly toxic red mineral,
adorned with numerous jade objects
shown here, in a modern
reproduction of Pakal's body. The jade death mask
, made of more than 200 carved, polished
and perfectly assembled plates, is an extraordinary
piece. The proportions of the mask and the
skull are the same, so it is a faithful
portrait of the ruler in life. Pakal wore a
diadem on his forehead and composite ear ornaments, as well as

a complex pectoral of tubular or
gourd-shaped beads. In his hands were placed
two jade beads in the shape of a sphere and a cube, as well as
rings on each finger.

The green color of the jade suggests a connection
with the agricultural cycle and the annual renewal of
nature. With his jade mask, Pakal transformed
into the Young Maize God, who awaits
his opportunity to return as new vegetation
as the annual cycle continues. This
meaning is reinforced by the figurine placed below and to the right,
representing the patron of the month Pax, mentioned
in the inscriptions as te', "tree," alluding to
Pakal as the seed that foretold the illustrious
future of the ruling lineage.

Texts and archaeology suggest that Pakal
died before the completion of the Temple of the Inscriptions, a task that fell to his eldest son,
Kan Balam II. Many later inscriptions refer to Pakal as "the lord of the pyramid," which indicates that the construction of this building was a significant event for Palenque.