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One of the greatest archeological discoveries of the mid-20th
century took place in Palenque in Chiapas, when the tomb where the Mayan governor Pacal had
been buried, was found. Inside the grave there were human remains and important
cultural testimonies of the ancient Mayas.
The finding of the king Pacal´s tomb in 1952 became immediately one the
most important breakthroughs in the archeological history of Mexico. The tomb
of this Mayan king, who was actually one of the most important Mayan governors,
was found inside the Temple of Inscriptions, in the archeological zone of Palenque which is 189km
to northeast from San Cristóbal de las Casas, in the state of Chiapas.
During Pacal?s government in the 7th century Palenque was one of the most important cultural cities of the
Mayas. The most monumental Mayan edifices date back to that era of splendor
during which the Palace and the Temple of Inscriptions were built. The name of the latter one comes from the
beautifully carved stone boards that were found inside the temple.
It was in this very temple where the archeologist Alberto Ruz found a
funeral chamber which contained a single-piece sarcophagus that weighed 13
tons. It was decorated with relieves and inside it there were the remains of
Pacal dressed in a magnificent offering made with jade, obsidian (volcanic glass) and shell objects. Amongst them stood out
a death mask which was made up of over 200 fragments of those materials.
