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| title = [[Ajaw|'''''Kʼuhul Baakel Ajaw''''']]<br/></i>(Divine Lord of Palenque)
| title = [[Ajaw|'''''Kʼuhul Baakel Ajaw''''']]<br/></i>(Divine Lord of Palenque)
| image = File:PacalII.svg
| image = File:PacalII.svg
| caption = Kʼinich Janaab Pakal's portrait in a lintel of 615
| caption = Kʼinich Janaab Pakal's portrait on occasion of ascension from Oval Palace Tablet
| coronation = 27 July 615
| coronation = 27 July 615
| succession = [[Ajaw|King]] of [[Palenque]]
| succession = [[Ajaw|King]] of [[Palenque]]
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| predecessor = [[Sak Kʼukʼ]]
| predecessor = [[Sak Kʼukʼ]]
| successor = [[Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II]]
| successor = [[Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II]]
| spouse = Ix Tzʼakbu Ajaw of [[Tortuguero (Maya site)|Tortuguero]]
| spouse = Lady Tzʼakbu Ajaw of [[Uxteʼkʼuh]]<ref>Skidmore 2010, p. 71.</ref>
| issue = [[Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II]]<br/>[[Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II]]<br/>Tiwol Chan Mat (probable)
| issue = [[Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II]]<br/>[[Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II]]<br/>Tiwol Chan Mat (probable)
| royal house =
| royal house =
| father = [[Kʼan Moʼ Hiix]]
| father = [[Kʼan Moʼ Hix]]
| mother = [[Sak Kʼukʼ]]
| mother = [[Sak Kʼukʼ]]
| birth_date = 24 March 603<ref name="Vital dates" group="N"/>
| birth_date = 24 March 603<ref name="Vital dates" group="N"/>
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| signature = K'inich Janaab' Pakal.svg|
| signature = K'inich Janaab' Pakal.svg|
}}
}}
'''Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I''' ({{IPA-myn|kʼihniʧ χanaːɓ pakal}}), also known as '''Pacal''' or '''Pacal the Great''' (March 24, 603 – August 29, 683),<ref name="Vital dates" group="N">In the [[Maya calendar]]: born [[Mesoamerican Long Count calendar|9.8.9.13.0]], [[Calendar Round|8 Ajaw 13 Pop]]; died 9.12.11.5.18, 6 Etzʼnab 11 Yax (Tiesler & Cucina 2004, p. 40).</ref> was ''[[ajaw]]'' of the [[Maya civilization|Maya]] city-state of [[Palenque]] in the Late Classic period of [[pre-Columbian]] [[Mesoamerican chronology]]. He acceded to the throne in July 615 and ruled until his death. Pakal reigned 68 years<ref group="N">In the [[Maya calendar]]: acceded 9.9.2.4.8, 5 Lamat 1 Mol; died 9.12.11.5.18, 6 Etzʼnab 11 Yax (Martin & Grube 2008, p. 162).</ref>—the [[List of longest-reigning monarchs#Monarchs of sovereign states with verifiable reigns by exact date|fifth-longest verified regnal period]] of any sovereign monarch in history, the longest in world history for more than a millennium,<ref group="N">Pakal's record was surpassed in June 1711, by [[Louis XIV]] of France; Louis's record still stands as of today.</ref><ref>Skidmore 2010, p. 7.</ref> and still the longest of any residing monarch in the history of the Americas. During his reign, Pakal was responsible for the construction or extension of some of Palenque's most notable surviving inscriptions and monumental architecture.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162-168.</ref> Pakal is perhaps best known in popular culture for his depiction on the carved lid of his [[sarcophagus]], which has become the subject of [[Pseudoarchaeology|pseudoarchaeological]] speculations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/believe-atlantis-these-archaeologists-want-win-you-back-science|title=Believe in Atlantis? These archaeologists want to win you back to science|last=Wade|first=Lizzie|date=2019-04-09|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en|access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref>
'''Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I''' ({{IPA-myn|kʼihniʧ χanaːɓ pakal}}), also known as '''Pacal''' or '''Pacal the Great''' (March 24, 603 – August 29, 683),<ref name="Vital dates" group="N">In the [[Maya calendar]]: born [[Mesoamerican Long Count calendar|9.8.9.13.0]], [[Calendar Round|8 Ajaw 13 Pop]]; died 9.12.11.5.18, 6 Etzʼnab 11 Yax (Tiesler & Cucina 2004, p. 40).</ref> was ''[[ajaw]]'' of the [[Maya civilization|Maya]] city-state of [[Palenque]] in the Late Classic period of [[pre-Columbian]] [[Mesoamerican chronology]]. He acceded to the throne in July 615 and ruled until his death. Pakal reigned 68 years<ref group="N">In the [[Maya calendar]]: acceded 9.9.2.4.8, 5 Lamat 1 Mol; died 9.12.11.5.18, 6 Etzʼnab 11 Yax (Martin & Grube 2008, p. 162).</ref>—the [[List of longest-reigning monarchs#Monarchs of sovereign states with verifiable reigns by exact date|fifth-longest verified regnal period]] of any sovereign monarch in history, the longest in world history for more than a millennium,<ref group="N">Pakal's record was surpassed in June 1711, by [[Louis XIV]] of France; Louis's record still stands as of today.</ref><ref>Skidmore 2010, p. 7.</ref> and still the longest reign of any monarch in the history of [[the Americas]]. During his long rule, Pakal was responsible for the construction or extension of some of Palenque's most notable surviving inscriptions and monumental architecture.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162–168.</ref> He is perhaps best known in popular culture for his depiction on the carved lid of his [[sarcophagus]], which has become the subject of [[pseudoarchaeological]] speculations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/believe-atlantis-these-archaeologists-want-win-you-back-science|title=Believe in Atlantis? These archaeologists want to win you back to science|last=Wade|first=Lizzie|date=2019-04-09|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en|access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref>


==Name==
==Name==
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}}
}}


Pakal's full name, ''Kʼinich Janaab Pakal'' ("Radiant Corn-Flower (?) Shield"<ref>Skidmore 2010, pp. 71-73.</ref>), is rendered in [[Classic Maya language|Classic Maya]] as '''KʼINICH-JANA꞉B-PAKAL-la''', '''KʼINICH-JANA꞉B-pa-ka-la''', or '''KʼINICH-ja-na-bi-pa-ka-la'''.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, p. 162.</ref> Before his name was securely deciphered from extant [[Maya script|Maya inscriptions]], Pakal had been known by various nicknames and approximations, including '''Sun Shield''' and '''8 Ahau'''.
Pakal's full name, ''Kʼinich Janaab Pakal'' ("Radiant Corn-Flower (?) Shield"<ref>Skidmore 2010, pp. 71–73.</ref>), is rendered in [[Classic Maya]] as '''KʼINICH-JANA꞉B-PAKAL-la''', '''KʼINICH-JANA꞉B-pa-ka-la''', or '''KʼINICH-ja-na-bi-pa-ka-la'''.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, p. 162.</ref> Before his name was securely deciphered from extant [[Maya script|Maya inscriptions]], Pakal had been known by various nicknames and approximations, including '''Sun Shield''' and '''8 Ahau'''.


In modern sources Pakal's name is also sometimes appended with a [[regnal number]],<ref group="N">Maya rulership titles and name glyphs themselves do not use regnal numbers; they are a convenience only of modern scholars.</ref> to distinguish him from other rulers with this name who either preceded or followed him in the dynastic lineage of Palenque. Confusingly, he has at times been referred to as ''either'' "Pakal I" or "Pakal II". Reference to him as Pakal II alludes to his maternal grandfather (died c. 612), who also bore the name [[Janahb Pakal]]. However, although his grandfather was a personage of ''[[ajaw]]'' ranking, he does not himself appear to have been a king. When instead the name ''Pakal I'' is used, this serves to distinguish him from two later known successors to the American rulership, [[Kʼinich Janaab Pakal II]] (ruled c. 742) and [[Janaab Pakal III]], the last-known Palenque ruler (ruled c. 799).<ref>Skidmore 700, pp. 56-57, pp. 71-73, p. 83, p. 91.</ref>
In modern sources Pakal's name is also sometimes appended with a [[regnal number]],<ref group="N">Maya rulership titles and name glyphs themselves do not use regnal numbers; they are a convenience only of modern scholars.</ref> to distinguish him from other rulers with this name who either preceded or followed him in the dynastic lineage of Palenque. Confusingly, he has at times been referred to as ''either'' "Pakal I" or "Pakal II". Reference to him as Pakal II alludes to his maternal grandfather (died c. 612), who also bore the name [[Janahb Pakal]]. However, although his grandfather was a personage of ''[[ajaw]]'' ranking, he does not himself appear to have been a king. When instead the name ''Pakal I'' is used, this serves to distinguish him from two later known successors to the American rulership, [[Kʼinich Janaab Pakal II]] (ruled c. 742) and [[Janaab Pakal III]], the last-known Palenque ruler (ruled c. 799).<ref>Skidmore 2010, pp. 56–57, 71–73, 83, 91.</ref>
{{Clear}}


==Early life==
==Early life==
[[File:Palenque - Grabschmuck des Pakal.jpg|thumb|Mounted funerary jewelry of Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I.]]
[[File:Palenque - Grabschmuck des Pakal.jpg|thumb|Mounted funerary jewelry of Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I.]]
Kʼinich Janaab Pakal was a [[Palenque]] native, born on [[Mesoamerican Long Count calendar|9.8.9.13.0]] (March 603) to Lady [[Sak Kʼukʼ]] of the ruling Palenque dynasty and her husband [[Kʼan Moʼ Hiix]].
Kʼinich Janaab Pakal was a [[Palenque]] native, born on [[Mesoamerican Long Count calendar|9.8.9.13.0]] (March 603) to Lady [[Sak Kʼukʼ]] of the ruling Palenque dynasty and her husband [[Kʼan Moʼ Hix]].

Pakal's birth came during a particularly turbulent time in Palenque's history. Palenque had been sacked by the powerful Maya state of [[Calakmul]] just four years earlier, and another catastrophic attack was led by Calakmul ''ajaw'' [[Scroll Serpent]] during Pakal's early childhood in 611. The deaths the following year of both the ruling Palenque ''ajaw'' [[Ajen Yohl Mat]] and his heir [[Janahb Pakal]] (Pakal's maternal grandfather and namesake) triggered a crisis of succession; eventually Pakal ascended to the rulership of Palenque on 9.9.2.4.8 (July 615), at the age of twelve, after an interim regency by his mother Lady Sak Kʼukʼ.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162–165.</ref>


Pakal's birth came during a particularly turbulent time in Palenque's history. Palenque had been sacked by the powerful Maya state of [[Calakmul]] just four years earlier, and another catastrophic attack was led by Calakmul ''ajaw'' [[Scroll Serpent]] during Pakal's early childhood in 611. The deaths the following year of both the ruling Palenque ''ajaw'' [[Ajen Yohl Mat]] and his heir [[Janahb Pakal]] (Pakal's maternal grandfather and namesake) triggered a crisis of succession; eventually Pakal ascended to the rulership of Palenque on 9.9.2.4.8 (July 615), at the age of twelve, after an interim regency by his mother Lady Sak Kʼukʼ.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162-165.</ref>
==Reign==
==Reign==
Pakal expanded Palenque's power in the western part of the Maya states and initiated a building program at his capital that produced some of [[Maya civilization]]'s finest art and architecture.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162-168.</ref> On 9.9.13.0.7 (March 626), he married Ix Tzʼakbu Ajaw, a descendant of the former ruling [[Toktahn dynasty]] from Palenque's satellite settlement of [[Uxteʼkʼuh]]; during their long marriage, they had at least two sons—[[Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II|Kan Bahlam]] (b. 635) and [[Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II|Kʼan Joy Chitam]] (b. 644)—and probably a third, [[Tiwol Chan Mat]] (b. 648).<ref>{{cite book |last=Tiesler |first=Vera |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=21-47 |chapter=Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref>
Pakal expanded Palenque's power in the western part of the Maya states and initiated a building program at his capital that produced some of [[Maya civilization]]'s finest art and architecture.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162–168.</ref> On 9.9.13.0.7 (March 626), he married Ix Tzʼakbu Ajaw, a descendant of the former ruling [[Toktahn dynasty]] from Palenque's satellite settlement of [[Uxteʼkʼuh]]; during their long marriage, they had at least two sons—[[Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II|Kan Bahlam]] (b. 635) and [[Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II|Kʼan Joy Chitam]] (b. 644)—and probably a third, [[Tiwol Chan Mat]] (b. 648).<ref>{{cite book |last=Tiesler |first=Vera |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=21–47 |chapter=Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref>


In 628, one of Pakal's officials (''aj kʼuhuun''), was captured by [[Piedras Negras (Maya site)|Piedras Negras]]. Six days later Nuun Ujol Chaak, ''ajaw'' of Santa Elena, was captured and taken to Palenque. Santa Elena became a tributary of Palenque. Having been appointed ''ajaw'' at the age of twelve, Pakal's mother was a regent to him. Over the years she slowly ceded power until she died in September 640. In 659 Pakal captured six prisoners; one of them, [[Ahiin Chan Ahk]], was from Pipaʼ, generally associated with [[Pomona, Tabasco|Pomona]]. Another lord of Pipaʼ was slain by Pakal in 663; at this time he also captured six people from Santa Elena.<ref>Skidmore 2010, pp. 71-73.</ref>
In 628, one of Pakal's officials (''aj kʼuhuun''), was captured by [[Piedras Negras (Maya site)|Piedras Negras]]. Six days later Nuun Ujol Chaak, ''ajaw'' of Santa Elena, was captured and taken to Palenque. Santa Elena became a tributary of Palenque. Having been appointed ''ajaw'' at the age of twelve, Pakal's mother was a regent to him. Over the years she slowly ceded power until she died in September 640. In 659 Pakal captured six prisoners; one of them, [[Ahiin Chan Ahk]], was from Pipaʼ, generally associated with [[Pomona, Tabasco|Pomona]]. Another lord of Pipaʼ was slain by Pakal in 663; at this time he also captured six people from Santa Elena.<ref>Skidmore 2010, pp. 71–73.</ref>


[[File:Grosser Tempel in Palenque.jpg|thumb|250px|The Palace of Palenque.]]
[[File:Grosser Tempel in Palenque.jpg|thumb|250px|The Palace of Palenque.]]
In 647, at the age of 44, Pakal began his first construction project, the temple today called [[El Olvidado]] (The Forgotten) in Spanish due to its distance from Lakamhaʼ. Of all Pakal's construction projects, perhaps the most accomplished is the Palace of Palenque. The building was already in existence, but Pakal enlarged it greatly by adding monument rooms onto the old level of the building. He then constructed Building E, called ''Sak Nuk Naah'' "White Skin House" in Classic Maya for its white coat of paint rather than the red used elsewhere in the palace. The east court of the palace is a ceremonial area marking military triumphs. Houses B and C were built in 661 and house A in 668. House A is covered with frescos of prisoners captured in 662.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162-168.</ref><ref>Skidmore 2010, pp. 71-73.</ref> The monuments and text associated with Pakal are: Oval Palace Tablet, Hieroglyphic Stairway, House C texts, Subterranean Thrones and Tableritos, Olvidado piers and sarcophagus texts.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, p. 162.</ref>
In 647, at the age of 44, Pakal began his first construction project, the temple today called [[El Olvidado]] (The Forgotten) in Spanish due to its distance from Lakamhaʼ. Of all Pakal's construction projects, perhaps the most accomplished is the Palace of Palenque. The building was already in existence, but Pakal enlarged it greatly by adding monument rooms onto the old level of the building. He then constructed Building E, called ''Sak Nuk Naah'' "White Skin House" in Classic Maya for its white coat of paint rather than the red used elsewhere in the palace. The east court of the palace is a ceremonial area marking military triumphs. Houses B and C were built in 661 and house A in 668. House A is covered with frescos of prisoners captured in 662.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162–168.</ref><ref>Skidmore 2010, pp. 71–73.</ref> The monuments and text associated with Pakal are: Oval Palace Tablet, Hieroglyphic Stairway, House C texts, Subterranean Thrones and Tableritos, Olvidado piers and sarcophagus texts.<ref>Martin & Grube 2008, p. 162.</ref>


Pakal was widowed when Tzʼakbu Ajaw, his wife of 47 years, died on 9.12.0.6.18 (November 672). Eight years later, Pakal also saw the death of Tiwol Chan Mat (his third son), and presided over his burial ceremony.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tiesler |first=Vera |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=21-47 |chapter=Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref>
Pakal was widowed when Tzʼakbu Ajaw, his wife of 47 years, died on 9.12.0.6.18 (November 672). Eight years later, Pakal also saw the death of Tiwol Chan Mat (his third son), and presided over his burial ceremony.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tiesler |first=Vera |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=21–47 |chapter=Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref>


==Death and burial==
==Death and burial==
Pakal died on 9.12.11.5.18 (August 683), at the age of 80, having ruled Palenque for 68 years and 33 days.<ref>Tiesler & Cucina 2004, p. 40.</ref>
Pakal died on 9.12.11.5.18 (August 683), at the age of 80, having ruled Palenque for 68 years and 33 days.<ref>Tiesler & Cucina 2004, p. 40.</ref>


After his death, Pakal was deified as one of the patron gods of Palenque.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guenter|first=Stanley|title=The Tomb of K’inich Janaab Pakal: The Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque|date=2007|publisher=Mesoweb Articles|url=http://www.mesoweb.com/articles/guenter/TI.pdf|pages=5|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> He was survived at least by his two sons Kan Bahlam and Kʼan Joy Chitam—each of whom subsequently also became Palenque's ''kʼuhul ajaw'' in his own right<ref>{{cite book |last=Tiesler |first=Vera |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=21-47 |chapter=Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref>—and two grandsons, [[Kʼinich Ahkal Moʼ Nahb III|Ahkal Moʼ Nahb]] (successor of [[Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II]] as ''kʼuhul ajaw'' of Palenque) and [[Janaab Ajaw]], a royal official inaugurated under the reign of Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II.<ref>{{cite book |last=Stuart |first=David |date=2005 |title=The Inscriptions from Temple XIX at Palenque |publisher=The Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute |pages=117-119, 152-153 |isbn=0-93-405110-0}}</ref>
After his death, Pakal was [[deified]] as one of the patron gods of Palenque.<ref>{{cite web|last=Guenter|first=Stanley|title=The Tomb of K'inich Janaab Pakal: The Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque|date=2007|publisher=Mesoweb Articles|url=http://www.mesoweb.com/articles/guenter/TI.pdf|pages=5|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> He was survived at least by his two sons Kan Bahlam and Kʼan Joy Chitam—each of whom subsequently also became Palenque's ''kʼuhul ajaw'' in his own right<ref>{{cite book |last=Tiesler |first=Vera |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=21–47 |chapter=Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref>—and two grandsons, [[Kʼinich Ahkal Moʼ Nahb III|Ahkal Moʼ Nahb]] (successor of [[Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II]] as ''kʼuhul ajaw'' of Palenque) and [[Janaab Ajaw]], a royal official inaugurated under the reign of Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II.<ref>{{cite book |last=Stuart |first=David |date=2005 |title=The Inscriptions from Temple XIX at Palenque |publisher=The Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute |pages=117–119, 152–153 |isbn=0-93-405110-0}}</ref>


[[File:Ajuar funerario de Pakal el Grande (Museo Nacional de Antropología).JPG|thumb|left|200px|A reconstruction of Pakal's tomb in the [[Museo Nacional de Antropología]].]]
[[File:Ajuar funerario de Pakal el Grande (Museo Nacional de Antropología).JPG|thumb|left|200px|A reconstruction of Pakal's tomb in the [[Museo Nacional de Antropología]].]]
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[[File:Temple of Inscriptions, Palenque (2088170629).jpg|thumb|The [[Temple of the Inscriptions]].]]
[[File:Temple of Inscriptions, Palenque (2088170629).jpg|thumb|The [[Temple of the Inscriptions]].]]
Initially, it was hotly debated whether the bones in the tomb were really those of Pakal. The skeleton's comparatively minor degree of dental wear suggested the owner's age as some 40 years younger than the age recorded for Pakal in the inscriptional texts, leading some—including the tomb's discoverer Alberto Ruz Lhuillier—to contend that the texts must have referred to two people with the same name or used a non-standard method of recording time. [[Epigraphers]], on the other hand, insisted that allowing for such possibilities would go against everything else that is known about the [[Maya calendar]] and [[Maya script|Maya written history]], and asserted that the texts clearly state that it is indeed Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal entombed within, and that he did in fact die at the advanced age of 80, after reigning for 68 years. More recent morphometric analysis of the rest of the skeleton demonstrates that the entombed individual could not have lived less than fifty years and most likely died in their eighth or ninth decade of life, consistent with the textual evidence rather than the younger age estimates of early researchers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Buikstra |first=Jane E. |last2=Milner |first2=George R. |last3=Boldsen |first3=Jesper L. |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=48-59 |chapter=Janaab' Pakal: the age-at-death controversy revisited |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Stout |first=Sam D. |last2=Streeter |first2=Margaret |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=60-67 |chapter=A histomorphometric analysis of the cortical bone of Janaab' Pakal's rib |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref> The disparity between the dental wear and the skeletal morphology is likely due to Pakal's aristocratic status, which would have allowed him access to a softer, less abrasive diet than the average Maya person so that his teeth naturally acquired less wear. Unusually large accumulations of dental calculus on his teeth are also consistent with such an interpretation.<ref>Mathews, p. 1.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Tiesler |first=Vera |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=21-47 |chapter=Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref>
Initially, it was hotly debated whether the bones in the tomb were really those of Pakal. The skeleton's comparatively minor degree of dental wear suggested the owner's age as some 40 years younger than the age recorded for Pakal in the inscriptional texts, leading some—including the tomb's discoverer Alberto Ruz Lhuillier—to contend that the texts must have referred to two people with the same name or used a non-standard method of recording time. [[Epigraphers]], on the other hand, insisted that allowing for such possibilities would go against everything else that is known about the [[Maya calendar]] and [[Maya script|Maya written history]], and asserted that the texts clearly state that it is indeed Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal entombed within, and that he did in fact die at the advanced age of 80, after reigning for 68 years. More recent morphometric analysis of the rest of the skeleton demonstrates that the entombed individual could not have lived less than fifty years and most likely died in their eighth or ninth decade of life, consistent with the textual evidence rather than the younger age estimates of early researchers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Buikstra |first1=Jane E. |last2=Milner |first2=George R. |last3=Boldsen |first3=Jesper L. |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=48–59 |chapter=Janaab' Pakal: the age-at-death controversy revisited |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Stout |first1=Sam D. |last2=Streeter |first2=Margaret |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=60–67 |chapter=A histomorphometric analysis of the cortical bone of Janaab' Pakal's rib |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref> The disparity between the dental wear and the skeletal morphology is likely due to Pakal's aristocratic status, which would have allowed him access to a softer, less abrasive diet than the average Maya person so that his teeth naturally acquired less wear. Unusually large accumulations of [[dental calculus]] on his teeth are also consistent with such an interpretation.<ref>Mathews, p. 1.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Tiesler |first=Vera |date=2006 |editor-last=Tiesler |editor-first=Vera |editor-last2=Cucina |editor-first2=Andrea |title=Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler |publisher=University of Arizona Press |pages=21–47 |chapter=Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings |isbn=978-0-8165-2510-2}}</ref>


Further archaeological explorations have continued to shed light on Pakal's burial site. In 2016 an underground water tunnel was discovered under the Temple of Inscriptions; a stucco mask depicting an elderly Pakal was subsequently found in August 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/08/28/incredible-maya-discovery-ancient-kings-mask-uncovered-in-mexico.html|title=Incredible Maya discovery: Ancient king's mask uncovered in Mexico|work=Fox News|date=29 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sciencealert.com/maya-king-k-inich-janaab-pakal-the-great-stucco-mask-found-palenque-palace|title=This Haunting Mask Could Be The Face of The Longest-Reigning Ancient Maya King|work=Science Alert|date=30 August 2018}}</ref>
Further archaeological explorations have continued to shed light on Pakal's burial site. In 2016 an underground water tunnel was discovered under the Temple of Inscriptions; a stucco mask depicting an elderly Pakal was subsequently found in August 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/science/incredible-maya-discovery-ancient-kings-mask-uncovered-in-mexico|title=Incredible Maya discovery: Ancient king's mask uncovered in Mexico|work=Fox News|date=29 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sciencealert.com/maya-king-k-inich-janaab-pakal-the-great-stucco-mask-found-palenque-palace|title=This Haunting Mask Could Be The Face of The Longest-Reigning Ancient Maya King|work=Science Alert|date=30 August 2018}}</ref>


===Pakal's sarcophagus===
===Pakal's sarcophagus===
[[File:Pacal the Great tomb lid.svg|thumb|280px|Carved lid of the tomb of Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I in the Temple of the Inscriptions.]]
[[File:Pacal the Great tomb lid.svg|thumb|280px|Carved lid of the tomb of Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I in the Temple of the Inscriptions.]]
The large carved stone sarcophagus lid in the Temple of Inscriptions is a unique piece of Classic [[Maya art]]. Iconographically, it is closely related to the large wall panels of the [[temple of the Cross Complex|temples of the Cross and the Foliated Cross]] centered on [[world tree]]s. Around the edges of the lid is a band with cosmological signs, including those for sun, moon, and star, as well as the heads of six named noblemen of varying rank.<ref>Schele & Mathews 1998, pp. 111-112.</ref> The central image is that of a cruciform world tree. Beneath Pakal is one of the heads of a celestial two-headed serpent viewed frontally. Both the king and the serpent head on which he seems to rest are framed by the open jaws of a funerary serpent, a common iconographic device for signalling entrance into, or residence in, the realm(s) of the dead. The king himself wears the attributes of the [[Maya maize god|Tonsured maize god]] — in particular a turtle ornament on the breast — and is shown in a peculiar posture that may denote rebirth.<ref>Stuart & Stuart 2008, pp. 174-177</ref> Interpretation of the lid has raised controversy. [[Linda Schele]] saw Pakal falling down the Milky Way into the southern horizon.<ref>Freidel, Schele & Parker 1993, pp. 76-77</ref>
The large carved stone sarcophagus lid in the Temple of Inscriptions is a unique piece of Classic [[Maya art]]. Iconographically, however, it is closely related to the large wall panels of the [[temple of the Cross Complex|temples of the Cross and the Foliated Cross]] centered on [[world tree]]s. Around the edges of the lid is a band with cosmological signs, including those for sun, moon, and star, as well as the heads of six named noblemen of varying rank.<ref>Schele & Mathews 1998, pp. 111–112.</ref> The central image is that of a cruciform world tree. Beneath Pakal is one of the heads of a celestial two-headed serpent viewed frontally. Both the king and the serpent head on which he seems to rest are framed by the open jaws of a funerary serpent, a common iconographic device for signalling entrance into, or residence in, the realm(s) of the dead. The king himself wears the attributes of the [[Tonsured Maize God]]—in particular a turtle ornament on the breast—and is shown in a peculiar posture that may denote rebirth.<ref>Stuart & Stuart 2008, pp. 174–177</ref> [[Linda Schele]] saw Pakal falling down the Milky Way into the southern horizon.<ref>Freidel, Schele & Parker 1993, pp. 76–77</ref>


====Pseudoarchaeology====
====Pseudoarchaeology====
Pakal's tomb has been the subject of [[ancient astronaut]] speculations since its appearance in [[Erich von Däniken]]'s 1968 best-seller ''[[Chariots of the Gods?]]'' Von Däniken reproduced a drawing of the sarcophagus lid (though incorrectly labelling it as being from [[Copán]]) and compared Pakal's pose to that of [[Project Mercury]] astronauts in the 1960s; he interpreted drawings underneath Pakal as rockets, and offered the sarcophagus lid as possible evidence of an [[Extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]] influence on the ancient Maya.<ref>Finley, p.1</ref><ref>von Däniken, pp. 100-101.</ref> Such an interpretation is almost universally denounced by archaeologists, epigraphers, and art historians of the Maya, who point out that von Däniken's claim relies solely upon visual inspection, paying heed neither to the broader archaeological context nor to a wealth of additional research on Classic Maya artistic conventions, symbolism, cosmology, and written history.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Derek D. |last2=Turner |first2=Michelle I. |date=2021 |editor-last=Killin |editor-first=Anton |editor-last2=Allen-Hermanson |editor-first2=Sean |title=Explorations in Archaeology and Philosophy |publisher=Springer |pages=7-24 |chapter="I’m not saying it was aliens": an archaeological and philosophical analysis of a conspiracy theory |isbn=978-3-030-61051-7}}</ref>
Pakal's tomb has been the subject of [[ancient astronaut]] speculations since its appearance in [[Erich von Däniken]]'s 1968 best-seller ''[[Chariots of the Gods?]]'' Von Däniken reproduced a drawing of the sarcophagus lid (though incorrectly labelling it as being from [[Copán]]) and compared Pakal's pose to that of [[Project Mercury]] astronauts in the 1960s; he interpreted drawings underneath Pakal as rockets, and offered the sarcophagus lid as possible evidence of an [[Extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]] influence on the ancient Maya.<ref>Finley, p. 1</ref><ref>von Däniken, pp. 100–101.</ref> Such an interpretation is almost universally denounced by archaeologists, epigraphers, and art historians of the Maya, who point out that von Däniken's claim relies solely upon visual inspection, paying heed neither to the broader archaeological context nor to a wealth of additional research on Classic Maya artistic conventions, symbolism, cosmology, and written history.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Derek D. |last2=Turner |first2=Michelle I. |date=2021 |editor-last=Killin |editor-first=Anton |editor-last2=Allen-Hermanson |editor-first2=Sean |title=Explorations in Archaeology and Philosophy |publisher=Springer |pages=7–24 |chapter="I'm not saying it was aliens": an archaeological and philosophical analysis of a conspiracy theory |isbn=978-3-030-61051-7}}</ref>


Another example of this carving's manifestation in [[pseudoarchaeology]] is the identification by [[José Argüelles]] of "Pacal [[Votan]]" as an incarnation named "Valum Votan," who would act as a "closer of the cycle" [[2012 phenomenon|in 2012]] (an event that is also significant on Argüelles' "13 Moon" calendar). [[Daniel Pinchbeck]], in his book ''2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl'' (2006), also uses the name "Pacal Votan" for Pakal.<ref>
Another example of this carving's manifestation in [[pseudoarchaeology]] is the identification by [[José Argüelles]] of "Pacal [[Votan]]" as an incarnation named "Valum Votan," who would act as a "closer of the cycle" [[2012 phenomenon|in 2012]] (an event that is also significant on Argüelles' "13 Moon" calendar). [[Daniel Pinchbeck]], in his book ''2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl'' (2006), also uses the name "Pacal Votan" for Pakal.<ref>
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==References==
==References==
*{{cite web|last1=Finley |first1=Michael |title=Von Daniken's Maya Astronaut |url=http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/vondaniken.html |website=SHAW WEBSPACE |access-date=18 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412070747/http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/vondaniken.html |archive-date=April 12, 2008 }}
*{{cite web|last1=Finley |first1=Michael |title=Von Daniken's Maya Astronaut |url=http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/vondaniken.html |website=Shaw Webspace |access-date=18 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412070747/http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/vondaniken.html |archive-date=April 12, 2008 }}
*{{cite book|last1=Freidel|first1=David A.|last2=Schele|first2=Linda|last3=Parker|first3=Joy|title=Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path|url=https://archive.org/details/mayacosmosthreet0000frei|url-access=registration|date=1993|publisher=William Morrow and Company|location=New York|isbn=9780688100810}}
*{{cite book|last1=Freidel|first1=David A.|last2=Schele|first2=Linda|last3=Parker|first3=Joy|title=Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path|url=https://archive.org/details/mayacosmosthreet0000frei|url-access=registration|date=1993|publisher=William Morrow and Co.|location=New York|isbn=978-0688100810}}
*{{cite book|author=Martin, Simon|author-link=Simon Martin (Mayanist)|author2=Nikolai Grube|year=2008|title=Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya|location=London and New York|publisher=[[Thames & Hudson]]|edition=2nd|isbn=9780500287262|oclc=191753193|author2-link=Nikolai Grube}}
*{{cite book|author=Martin, Simon|author-link=Simon Martin (Mayanist)|author2=Nikolai Grube|year=2008|title=Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya|location=London and New York|publisher=[[Thames & Hudson]]|edition=2nd|isbn=978-0500287262|oclc=191753193|author2-link=Nikolai Grube}}
*{{cite web|last1=Mathews|first1=Peter|title=WHO'S WHO IN THE CLASSIC MAYA WORLD|url=http://research.famsi.org/whos_who/people.php?mathewsnumber=PAL%20011|website=Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. (FAMSI)|access-date=18 October 2015}}
*{{cite web|last1=Mathews|first1=Peter|title=Who's Who in the Classic Maya World |url=http://research.famsi.org/whos_who/people.php?mathewsnumber=PAL%20011|website=Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. (FAMSI)|access-date=18 October 2015}}
*{{cite book|last1=Schele|first1=Linda|last2=Mathews|first2=Peter|title=The Code of Kings: The Language of Seven Sacred Maya Temples and Tombs|date=1998|publisher=Touchstone|location=New York|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QRxr0uuxw3kC&q=The+Code+of+Kings|access-date=17 October 2015|isbn=068480106X}}
*{{cite book|last1=Schele|first1=Linda|last2=Mathews|first2=Peter|title=The Code of Kings: The Language of Seven Sacred Maya Temples and Tombs|date=1998|publisher=Touchstone|location=New York|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QRxr0uuxw3kC&q=The+Code+of+Kings|access-date=17 October 2015|isbn=068480106X}}
*{{cite book|last1=Skidmore|first1=Joel|title=The Rulers of Palenque|date=2010|publisher=Mesoweb Publications|edition=Fifth|url=http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/resources/rulers/PalenqueRulers-05.pdf|access-date=12 October 2015}}
*{{cite book|last1=Skidmore|first1=Joel|title=The Rulers of Palenque|date=2010|publisher=Mesoweb Publications|edition=5th|url=http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/resources/rulers/PalenqueRulers-05.pdf|access-date=12 October 2015}}
*{{cite book|last=Stokstad|first=Marilyn|title=Art History Fourth Edition|year=2008|publisher=Prentice Hall|location=Upper Saddle River, New Jersey|isbn=978-0-205-74422-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Stokstad|first=Marilyn|title=Art History|edition=4th|year=2008|publisher=Prentice Hall|location=Upper Saddle River, New Jersey|isbn=978-0-205-74422-0}}
*{{cite book|last1=Stuart|first1=David|last2=Stuart|first2=George|title=Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya|date=2008|publisher=Thames & Hudson|isbn=9780500051566}}
*{{cite book|last1=Stuart|first1=David|last2=Stuart|first2=George|title=Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya|date=2008|publisher=Thames & Hudson|isbn=978-0500051566}}
*{{Cite journal|last1=Tiesler|first1=V.|last2=Cucina|first2=A.|last3=Pacheco|first3=A. Romano|date=2004-10-18|title=Who was the Red Queen? Identity of the female Maya dignitary from the sarcophagus tomb of Temple XIII, Palenque, Mexico.|journal=HOMO|volume=55|issue=1|pages=65–76|doi=10.1016/j.jchb.2004.01.003|pmid=15553269|issn=0018-442X}}
*{{Cite journal|last1=Tiesler|first1=V.|last2=Cucina|first2=A.|last3=Pacheco|first3=A. Romano|date=2004-10-18|title=Who was the Red Queen? Identity of the female Maya dignitary from the sarcophagus tomb of Temple XIII, Palenque, Mexico.|journal=HOMO|volume=55|issue=1|pages=65–76|doi=10.1016/j.jchb.2004.01.003|pmid=15553269|issn=0018-442X}}
*{{cite book|last1=Däniken|first1=Erich von|title=Chariots of the Gods?: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past|date=1969|publisher=Bantam Books|isbn=0285502565|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/chariotsofgodsun00dnik}}
*{{cite book|last1=Däniken|first1=Erich von|title=Chariots of the Gods?: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past|date=1969|publisher=Bantam Books|isbn=0285502565|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/chariotsofgodsun00dnik}}
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|K'inich Janaab' Pakal I}}
{{Commons category|K'inich Janaab' Pakal I}}
*[http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/features/sarcophagus/pakals_tomb.html Mesoweb's description of the discovery of Pakal's tomb]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180603102810/https://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/features/sarcophagus/pakals_tomb.htmll Mesoweb's description of the discovery of Pakal's tomb] (via Archive.org)


{{Clear}}
{{Clear}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-reg}}
{{succession box|before=[[Sak Kʼukʼ]]|title=[[Palenque#Dynastic list|King of Palenque]]|years=July 27, 615 – August 29, 683|after=[[Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II]]}}
{{succession box|before=[[Sak Kʼukʼ]]|title=[[King of Palenque]]|years=July 27, 615 – August 29, 683|after=[[Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}



Latest revision as of 23:01, 12 November 2024

Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I
Kʼuhul Baakel Ajaw
(Divine Lord of Palenque)
Kʼinich Janaab Pakal's portrait on occasion of ascension from Oval Palace Tablet
King of Palenque
Reign27 July 615 – 29 August 683
Coronation27 July 615
PredecessorSak Kʼukʼ
SuccessorKʼinich Kan Bahlam II
Born24 March 603[N 1]
Palenque (now in Chiapas, Mexico)
Died29 August 683(683-08-29) (aged 80)
Palenque
Burial
SpouseLady Tzʼakbu Ajaw of Uxteʼkʼuh[1]
IssueKʼinich Kan Bahlam II
Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II
Tiwol Chan Mat (probable)
FatherKʼan Moʼ Hix
MotherSak Kʼukʼ
ReligionMaya religion
SignatureKʼinich Janaab Pakal I's signature

Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I (Mayan pronunciation: [kʼihniʧ χanaːɓ pakal]), also known as Pacal or Pacal the Great (March 24, 603 – August 29, 683),[N 1] was ajaw of the Maya city-state of Palenque in the Late Classic period of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican chronology. He acceded to the throne in July 615 and ruled until his death. Pakal reigned 68 years[N 2]—the fifth-longest verified regnal period of any sovereign monarch in history, the longest in world history for more than a millennium,[N 3][2] and still the longest reign of any monarch in the history of the Americas. During his long rule, Pakal was responsible for the construction or extension of some of Palenque's most notable surviving inscriptions and monumental architecture.[3] He is perhaps best known in popular culture for his depiction on the carved lid of his sarcophagus, which has become the subject of pseudoarchaeological speculations.[4]

Name

[edit]
Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I's glyphs.

Pakal's full name, Kʼinich Janaab Pakal ("Radiant Corn-Flower (?) Shield"[5]), is rendered in Classic Maya as KʼINICH-JANA꞉B-PAKAL-la, KʼINICH-JANA꞉B-pa-ka-la, or KʼINICH-ja-na-bi-pa-ka-la.[6] Before his name was securely deciphered from extant Maya inscriptions, Pakal had been known by various nicknames and approximations, including Sun Shield and 8 Ahau.

In modern sources Pakal's name is also sometimes appended with a regnal number,[N 4] to distinguish him from other rulers with this name who either preceded or followed him in the dynastic lineage of Palenque. Confusingly, he has at times been referred to as either "Pakal I" or "Pakal II". Reference to him as Pakal II alludes to his maternal grandfather (died c. 612), who also bore the name Janahb Pakal. However, although his grandfather was a personage of ajaw ranking, he does not himself appear to have been a king. When instead the name Pakal I is used, this serves to distinguish him from two later known successors to the American rulership, Kʼinich Janaab Pakal II (ruled c. 742) and Janaab Pakal III, the last-known Palenque ruler (ruled c. 799).[7]

Early life

[edit]
Mounted funerary jewelry of Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I.

Kʼinich Janaab Pakal was a Palenque native, born on 9.8.9.13.0 (March 603) to Lady Sak Kʼukʼ of the ruling Palenque dynasty and her husband Kʼan Moʼ Hix.

Pakal's birth came during a particularly turbulent time in Palenque's history. Palenque had been sacked by the powerful Maya state of Calakmul just four years earlier, and another catastrophic attack was led by Calakmul ajaw Scroll Serpent during Pakal's early childhood in 611. The deaths the following year of both the ruling Palenque ajaw Ajen Yohl Mat and his heir Janahb Pakal (Pakal's maternal grandfather and namesake) triggered a crisis of succession; eventually Pakal ascended to the rulership of Palenque on 9.9.2.4.8 (July 615), at the age of twelve, after an interim regency by his mother Lady Sak Kʼukʼ.[8]

Reign

[edit]

Pakal expanded Palenque's power in the western part of the Maya states and initiated a building program at his capital that produced some of Maya civilization's finest art and architecture.[9] On 9.9.13.0.7 (March 626), he married Ix Tzʼakbu Ajaw, a descendant of the former ruling Toktahn dynasty from Palenque's satellite settlement of Uxteʼkʼuh; during their long marriage, they had at least two sons—Kan Bahlam (b. 635) and Kʼan Joy Chitam (b. 644)—and probably a third, Tiwol Chan Mat (b. 648).[10]

In 628, one of Pakal's officials (aj kʼuhuun), was captured by Piedras Negras. Six days later Nuun Ujol Chaak, ajaw of Santa Elena, was captured and taken to Palenque. Santa Elena became a tributary of Palenque. Having been appointed ajaw at the age of twelve, Pakal's mother was a regent to him. Over the years she slowly ceded power until she died in September 640. In 659 Pakal captured six prisoners; one of them, Ahiin Chan Ahk, was from Pipaʼ, generally associated with Pomona. Another lord of Pipaʼ was slain by Pakal in 663; at this time he also captured six people from Santa Elena.[11]

The Palace of Palenque.

In 647, at the age of 44, Pakal began his first construction project, the temple today called El Olvidado (The Forgotten) in Spanish due to its distance from Lakamhaʼ. Of all Pakal's construction projects, perhaps the most accomplished is the Palace of Palenque. The building was already in existence, but Pakal enlarged it greatly by adding monument rooms onto the old level of the building. He then constructed Building E, called Sak Nuk Naah "White Skin House" in Classic Maya for its white coat of paint rather than the red used elsewhere in the palace. The east court of the palace is a ceremonial area marking military triumphs. Houses B and C were built in 661 and house A in 668. House A is covered with frescos of prisoners captured in 662.[12][13] The monuments and text associated with Pakal are: Oval Palace Tablet, Hieroglyphic Stairway, House C texts, Subterranean Thrones and Tableritos, Olvidado piers and sarcophagus texts.[14]

Pakal was widowed when Tzʼakbu Ajaw, his wife of 47 years, died on 9.12.0.6.18 (November 672). Eight years later, Pakal also saw the death of Tiwol Chan Mat (his third son), and presided over his burial ceremony.[15]

Death and burial

[edit]

Pakal died on 9.12.11.5.18 (August 683), at the age of 80, having ruled Palenque for 68 years and 33 days.[16]

After his death, Pakal was deified as one of the patron gods of Palenque.[17] He was survived at least by his two sons Kan Bahlam and Kʼan Joy Chitam—each of whom subsequently also became Palenque's kʼuhul ajaw in his own right[18]—and two grandsons, Ahkal Moʼ Nahb (successor of Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II as kʼuhul ajaw of Palenque) and Janaab Ajaw, a royal official inaugurated under the reign of Kʼinich Kʼan Joy Chitam II.[19]

A reconstruction of Pakal's tomb in the Museo Nacional de Antropología.

Pakal was buried in a colossal sarcophagus within the largest of Palenque's stepped pyramid structures, the building called Bʼolon Yej Teʼ Naah "House of the Nine Sharpened Spears"[20] in Classic Maya and now known as the Temple of the Inscriptions. Though Palenque had been examined by archaeologists before, the secret to opening his tomb—closed off by a stone slab with stone plugs in the holes, which had until then escaped the attention of archaeologists—was discovered by Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier in 1948. It took four years to clear the rubble from the stairway leading down to Pakal's tomb, but it was finally uncovered in 1952.[21] His skeletal remains were still lying in his sarcophagus, wearing a jade mask and bead necklaces, surrounded by sculptures and stucco reliefs depicting the ruler's transition to divinity and figures from Maya mythology. Traces of pigment show that these were once colorfully painted, common of much Maya sculpture at the time.[22]

The Temple of the Inscriptions.

Initially, it was hotly debated whether the bones in the tomb were really those of Pakal. The skeleton's comparatively minor degree of dental wear suggested the owner's age as some 40 years younger than the age recorded for Pakal in the inscriptional texts, leading some—including the tomb's discoverer Alberto Ruz Lhuillier—to contend that the texts must have referred to two people with the same name or used a non-standard method of recording time. Epigraphers, on the other hand, insisted that allowing for such possibilities would go against everything else that is known about the Maya calendar and Maya written history, and asserted that the texts clearly state that it is indeed Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal entombed within, and that he did in fact die at the advanced age of 80, after reigning for 68 years. More recent morphometric analysis of the rest of the skeleton demonstrates that the entombed individual could not have lived less than fifty years and most likely died in their eighth or ninth decade of life, consistent with the textual evidence rather than the younger age estimates of early researchers.[23][24] The disparity between the dental wear and the skeletal morphology is likely due to Pakal's aristocratic status, which would have allowed him access to a softer, less abrasive diet than the average Maya person so that his teeth naturally acquired less wear. Unusually large accumulations of dental calculus on his teeth are also consistent with such an interpretation.[25][26]

Further archaeological explorations have continued to shed light on Pakal's burial site. In 2016 an underground water tunnel was discovered under the Temple of Inscriptions; a stucco mask depicting an elderly Pakal was subsequently found in August 2018.[27][28]

Pakal's sarcophagus

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Carved lid of the tomb of Kʼinich Janaab Pakal I in the Temple of the Inscriptions.

The large carved stone sarcophagus lid in the Temple of Inscriptions is a unique piece of Classic Maya art. Iconographically, however, it is closely related to the large wall panels of the temples of the Cross and the Foliated Cross centered on world trees. Around the edges of the lid is a band with cosmological signs, including those for sun, moon, and star, as well as the heads of six named noblemen of varying rank.[29] The central image is that of a cruciform world tree. Beneath Pakal is one of the heads of a celestial two-headed serpent viewed frontally. Both the king and the serpent head on which he seems to rest are framed by the open jaws of a funerary serpent, a common iconographic device for signalling entrance into, or residence in, the realm(s) of the dead. The king himself wears the attributes of the Tonsured Maize God—in particular a turtle ornament on the breast—and is shown in a peculiar posture that may denote rebirth.[30] Linda Schele saw Pakal falling down the Milky Way into the southern horizon.[31]

Pseudoarchaeology

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Pakal's tomb has been the subject of ancient astronaut speculations since its appearance in Erich von Däniken's 1968 best-seller Chariots of the Gods? Von Däniken reproduced a drawing of the sarcophagus lid (though incorrectly labelling it as being from Copán) and compared Pakal's pose to that of Project Mercury astronauts in the 1960s; he interpreted drawings underneath Pakal as rockets, and offered the sarcophagus lid as possible evidence of an extraterrestrial influence on the ancient Maya.[32][33] Such an interpretation is almost universally denounced by archaeologists, epigraphers, and art historians of the Maya, who point out that von Däniken's claim relies solely upon visual inspection, paying heed neither to the broader archaeological context nor to a wealth of additional research on Classic Maya artistic conventions, symbolism, cosmology, and written history.[34]

Another example of this carving's manifestation in pseudoarchaeology is the identification by José Argüelles of "Pacal Votan" as an incarnation named "Valum Votan," who would act as a "closer of the cycle" in 2012 (an event that is also significant on Argüelles' "13 Moon" calendar). Daniel Pinchbeck, in his book 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl (2006), also uses the name "Pacal Votan" for Pakal.[35]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b In the Maya calendar: born 9.8.9.13.0, 8 Ajaw 13 Pop; died 9.12.11.5.18, 6 Etzʼnab 11 Yax (Tiesler & Cucina 2004, p. 40).
  2. ^ In the Maya calendar: acceded 9.9.2.4.8, 5 Lamat 1 Mol; died 9.12.11.5.18, 6 Etzʼnab 11 Yax (Martin & Grube 2008, p. 162).
  3. ^ Pakal's record was surpassed in June 1711, by Louis XIV of France; Louis's record still stands as of today.
  4. ^ Maya rulership titles and name glyphs themselves do not use regnal numbers; they are a convenience only of modern scholars.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Skidmore 2010, p. 71.
  2. ^ Skidmore 2010, p. 7.
  3. ^ Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162–168.
  4. ^ Wade, Lizzie (2019-04-09). "Believe in Atlantis? These archaeologists want to win you back to science". Science | AAAS. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  5. ^ Skidmore 2010, pp. 71–73.
  6. ^ Martin & Grube 2008, p. 162.
  7. ^ Skidmore 2010, pp. 56–57, 71–73, 83, 91.
  8. ^ Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162–165.
  9. ^ Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162–168.
  10. ^ Tiesler, Vera (2006). "Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings". In Tiesler, Vera; Cucina, Andrea (eds.). Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler. University of Arizona Press. pp. 21–47. ISBN 978-0-8165-2510-2.
  11. ^ Skidmore 2010, pp. 71–73.
  12. ^ Martin & Grube 2008, pp. 162–168.
  13. ^ Skidmore 2010, pp. 71–73.
  14. ^ Martin & Grube 2008, p. 162.
  15. ^ Tiesler, Vera (2006). "Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings". In Tiesler, Vera; Cucina, Andrea (eds.). Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler. University of Arizona Press. pp. 21–47. ISBN 978-0-8165-2510-2.
  16. ^ Tiesler & Cucina 2004, p. 40.
  17. ^ Guenter, Stanley (2007). "The Tomb of K'inich Janaab Pakal: The Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque" (PDF). Mesoweb Articles. p. 5. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  18. ^ Tiesler, Vera (2006). "Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings". In Tiesler, Vera; Cucina, Andrea (eds.). Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler. University of Arizona Press. pp. 21–47. ISBN 978-0-8165-2510-2.
  19. ^ Stuart, David (2005). The Inscriptions from Temple XIX at Palenque. The Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute. pp. 117–119, 152–153. ISBN 0-93-405110-0.
  20. ^ Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico
  21. ^ Mathews, p. 1.
  22. ^ Stokstad, p. 388.
  23. ^ Buikstra, Jane E.; Milner, George R.; Boldsen, Jesper L. (2006). "Janaab' Pakal: the age-at-death controversy revisited". In Tiesler, Vera; Cucina, Andrea (eds.). Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler. University of Arizona Press. pp. 48–59. ISBN 978-0-8165-2510-2.
  24. ^ Stout, Sam D.; Streeter, Margaret (2006). "A histomorphometric analysis of the cortical bone of Janaab' Pakal's rib". In Tiesler, Vera; Cucina, Andrea (eds.). Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler. University of Arizona Press. pp. 60–67. ISBN 978-0-8165-2510-2.
  25. ^ Mathews, p. 1.
  26. ^ Tiesler, Vera (2006). "Life and death of the ruler: recent bioarchaeological findings". In Tiesler, Vera; Cucina, Andrea (eds.). Janaab' Pakal of Palenque: Reconstructing the Life and Death of a Maya Ruler. University of Arizona Press. pp. 21–47. ISBN 978-0-8165-2510-2.
  27. ^ "Incredible Maya discovery: Ancient king's mask uncovered in Mexico". Fox News. 29 August 2018.
  28. ^ "This Haunting Mask Could Be The Face of The Longest-Reigning Ancient Maya King". Science Alert. 30 August 2018.
  29. ^ Schele & Mathews 1998, pp. 111–112.
  30. ^ Stuart & Stuart 2008, pp. 174–177
  31. ^ Freidel, Schele & Parker 1993, pp. 76–77
  32. ^ Finley, p. 1
  33. ^ von Däniken, pp. 100–101.
  34. ^ Turner, Derek D.; Turner, Michelle I. (2021). ""I'm not saying it was aliens": an archaeological and philosophical analysis of a conspiracy theory". In Killin, Anton; Allen-Hermanson, Sean (eds.). Explorations in Archaeology and Philosophy. Springer. pp. 7–24. ISBN 978-3-030-61051-7.
  35. ^ Daniel Pinchbeck 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl (2006), p. 226

References

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Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Palenque
July 27, 615 – August 29, 683
Succeeded by