National Geographic History - USA (2022-05 & 2022-06)

DEATH AND

REBIRTH

THE 1952 DISCOVERY by Mexican ar-

chaeologist Alberto Ruz of Pakal’s

burial chamber below the Temple of

the Inscriptions revolutionized his-

torians’ understanding of Palenque

and the Maya. Pakal’s sarcophagus lid

(above) is made from a single piece

of limestone that weighs about seven

tons. Decorated with an intricate re-

lief, the lid is now considered one of

the great treasures of universal art.

There are several interpretations of the

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