Temple of the Inscriptions
Encyclopedia
The Temple of the Inscriptions is the largest Mesoamerican stepped pyramid structure at the pre-Columbian
Maya civilization
site of Palenque
, located in the modern-day state of Chiapas
, Mexico
. The structure was specifically built as the funerary monument for K'inich Janaab' Pakal, ajaw
or ruler of Palenque in the 7th century whose reign over the polity
lasted almost 70 years. Construction of this monument commenced in the last decade of his life, and was completed by his son and successor K'inich Kan B'alam II. Within Palenque, the Temple of the Inscriptions is located in an area known as the Temple of the Inscriptions’ Court and stands at a right angle to the Southeast of the Palace. The Temple of the Inscriptions has been significant in the study of the ancient Maya, owing to the extraordinary sample of hieroglyphic text found on the Inscription Tablets, the impressive sculptural panels on the piers of the building, and the finds inside the tomb of Pakal.
for which the temple was named. Inside the temple, a stairway leads to the crypt containing the sarcophagus
of Pakal.
Despite the fact that Palenque, and the Temple of Inscriptions itself, had been visited and studied for more than two hundred years, the tomb of Pakal was not discovered until 1952. Alberto Ruz Lhuillier
, a Mexican archaeologist, removed a stone slab from the floor of the temple, revealing a stairway filled with rubble. Two years later, when the stairway was cleared, it was discovered that it led into Pakal’s tomb.
. Piers A and F have only hieroglyphic text on them. Piers B through E have images of people holding an infant-like figure, which has a snake as one leg.
, one of whose legs is a serpent, in his hand.
The human figure is actually life size (165 cm tall), but its position and perspective make it appear much larger. It wears an elaborate feather headdress, a jaguar skin skirt, and a belt. The figure also used to wear a loincloth and a short beaded cape, but due to damage those are largely missing today, as is the head of the figure.
It is thought that the figure held by the human figure is God K, although his characteristic “flared forehead” is only visible on Pier D. The figure of God K, often described as an “infant” or “child,” has one human leg and one serpent-leg. The human leg ends in a six-toed foot that is cradled by the other figure. It is likely, especially considering the emphasis placed on the polydactyly
, that this feature is a reference to Pakal’s son, Kan B'alam II, who is portrayed in portraits with six fingers on one hand and six toes on one foot.
. The fact that this “umbilical cord” connects the figure on Pier C to Pakal’s tomb (and by extension, Pakal himself) supports the identification of the figure as Lady Zac-Kuk. The umbilical cord can then be interpreted as a reference to the royal bloodline.
sculpture. A thin coat of light red paint would have been applied to all of the stucco sculpture as a sort of background coloring while the stucco was still wet, binding the color to the building. Because the temple was repeatedly repainted, one can observe layers of pigment between layers of stucco. The color blue signified the Heavens and the Gods and would have been applied to things relating to the gods, as well as the glyphic texts on the sculpture. The color yellow related to Xibalba
, the Maya underworld, which was associated with jaguars, so the jaguar skirts were colored accordingly.
architects designed the hut-shaped chamber using cross vaulting and recessed buttresses.
. In the image that covers it, Pakal lies on top of the “earth monster.” Below him are the open jaws of a jaguar, symbolizing Xibalba
. Above him is the Celestial Bird, perched atop the Cosmic Tree (represented by a cross) which, in turn, holds a Serpent in its branches. Thus, in the image Pakal lies between two worlds: the heavens and the underworld. Also on the sarcophagus are Pakal’s ancestors, arraigned in a line going back six generations.
, while the eyes consist of shells, mother of pearl, and obsidian
.
There were several smaller jade heads packed into Pakal’s sarcophagus and a stucco portrait of the king was found under the base of it.
Five skeletons, both male and female, were found at the entrance of the crypt. These sacrificial victims were intended to follow Pakal into Xibalba.
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
Maya civilization
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
site of Palenque
Palenque
Palenque was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the 7th century. The Palenque ruins date back to 100 BC to its fall around 800 AD...
, located in the modern-day state of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The structure was specifically built as the funerary monument for K'inich Janaab' Pakal, ajaw
Ajaw
Ajaw is a political rulership title attested from the epigraphic inscriptions of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, with a meaning variously interpreted as "lord", "ruler", "king" or "leader". It denoted any of the leading class of nobles in a particular polity and was not limited to a single...
or ruler of Palenque in the 7th century whose reign over the polity
Polity
Polity is a form of government Aristotle developed in his search for a government that could be most easily incorporated and used by the largest amount of people groups, or states...
lasted almost 70 years. Construction of this monument commenced in the last decade of his life, and was completed by his son and successor K'inich Kan B'alam II. Within Palenque, the Temple of the Inscriptions is located in an area known as the Temple of the Inscriptions’ Court and stands at a right angle to the Southeast of the Palace. The Temple of the Inscriptions has been significant in the study of the ancient Maya, owing to the extraordinary sample of hieroglyphic text found on the Inscription Tablets, the impressive sculptural panels on the piers of the building, and the finds inside the tomb of Pakal.
Structure
The structure consists of a "temple" structure that sits atop an eight-stepped pyramid (for a total of nine levels). The five entrances in the front of the building are surrounded by piers bearing both carved images and the hieroglyphic texts in Maya scriptMaya script
The Maya script, also known as Maya glyphs or Maya hieroglyphs, is the writing system of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica, presently the only Mesoamerican writing system that has been substantially deciphered...
for which the temple was named. Inside the temple, a stairway leads to the crypt containing the sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
of Pakal.
History
The Temple of Inscriptions was finished a short time after A.D. 683. The construction was initiated by Pakal himself, although his son, K'inich Kan B'alam II completed the structure and its final decoration.Despite the fact that Palenque, and the Temple of Inscriptions itself, had been visited and studied for more than two hundred years, the tomb of Pakal was not discovered until 1952. Alberto Ruz Lhuillier
Alberto Ruz Lhuillier
Alberto Ruz Lhuillier was a Mexican archaeologist. He specialized in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican archaeology and is well-known for leading the National Institute of Anthropology and History excavations at the Maya site of Palenque, where he found the tomb of the Maya ruler, Pakal...
, a Mexican archaeologist, removed a stone slab from the floor of the temple, revealing a stairway filled with rubble. Two years later, when the stairway was cleared, it was discovered that it led into Pakal’s tomb.
Piers
The temple has six piers, or vertical panels. These are labeled A through F, each with texts, artistic representations, or both executed in reliefs made from plaster stuccoStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
. Piers A and F have only hieroglyphic text on them. Piers B through E have images of people holding an infant-like figure, which has a snake as one leg.
Pier A
Pier A’s decoration consists entirely of hieroglyphic text. However, only eleven glyphs and glyph portions survive to this day. Among these glyphs, “capture” can be clearly seen, but who or what was captured is unknown because the corresponding glyphs are unreadable.Pier B
Pier B depicts a scene in which a human figure holds the “child” God KGod K
God K is the Schellhas-Zimmermann-Taube designation of a codical Maya deity representing lightning . In earlier, especially Classic depictions, his main characteristics are a blade or torch running through his forehead, and a serpent for one of his legs...
, one of whose legs is a serpent, in his hand.
The human figure is actually life size (165 cm tall), but its position and perspective make it appear much larger. It wears an elaborate feather headdress, a jaguar skin skirt, and a belt. The figure also used to wear a loincloth and a short beaded cape, but due to damage those are largely missing today, as is the head of the figure.
It is thought that the figure held by the human figure is God K, although his characteristic “flared forehead” is only visible on Pier D. The figure of God K, often described as an “infant” or “child,” has one human leg and one serpent-leg. The human leg ends in a six-toed foot that is cradled by the other figure. It is likely, especially considering the emphasis placed on the polydactyly
Polydactyly
Polydactyly or polydactylism , also known as hyperdactyly, is a congenital physical anomaly in humans, dogs, and cats having supernumerary fingers or toes....
, that this feature is a reference to Pakal’s son, Kan B'alam II, who is portrayed in portraits with six fingers on one hand and six toes on one foot.
Pier C
The standing figure on Pier C is thought to be a woman, possibly Pakal’s mother, Lady Zac-Kuk. The appearance of the psychoduct (a hollow duct that goes from the outer temple into the tomb of Pakal) and the stone band that connects to it have led many to compare the structure to an umbilical cordUmbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
. The fact that this “umbilical cord” connects the figure on Pier C to Pakal’s tomb (and by extension, Pakal himself) supports the identification of the figure as Lady Zac-Kuk. The umbilical cord can then be interpreted as a reference to the royal bloodline.
Pier D
Pier D provides the evidence that the “baby” figure is, in fact, God K. In this depiction of the “baby” figure, it wears an “axe” or “flare” including a mirror (visible below the feathers of the standing figure’s headdress), something characteristic of God K. The figure on this pier is more complete than the same figure on any of the other piers. Also present in the depiction of God K are three vertical cuts on the god’s back. These have been shown to be intentional, but their meaning is still unknown.Pier E
The standing figure on Pier E is most likely Kan B'alam I. The elaborate headdress worn by the figure contains glyphs that identify him as “chan-bahlum.” It is unlikely that this refers to Kan B'alam II because he is thought to be represented by the figure of God K. Because Kan B'alam II, great-great-grandson of Kan B'alam I, finished the decoration of the Temple of Inscriptions, this can be seen as an effort to reinforce the legitimacy of his claim to the throne; he is emphasizing his relationship to his ancestor and namesake, as well as his relationship to his father and grandmother.Pier F
Pier F has only one glyph block that remains today. It contains glyphs for what is thought to be a title, translated as “dead rabbit”, followed by the title and name “Mah K’ina Kan-B'alam,” after which comes an unknown glyph (possibly another title), and the glyph for Palenque.Coloration
Although much of the color on the piers has deteriorated, some is still visible today. Originally, the piers would have been extraordinarily colorful. Bright red, yellow, and blue would have been seen on their stuccoStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
sculpture. A thin coat of light red paint would have been applied to all of the stucco sculpture as a sort of background coloring while the stucco was still wet, binding the color to the building. Because the temple was repeatedly repainted, one can observe layers of pigment between layers of stucco. The color blue signified the Heavens and the Gods and would have been applied to things relating to the gods, as well as the glyphic texts on the sculpture. The color yellow related to Xibalba
Xibalba
Xibalba , roughly translated as "place of fear", is the name of the underworld in Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. In 16th-century Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba was traditionally held to be a cave in the vicinity of Cobán, Guatemala. According to some of the...
, the Maya underworld, which was associated with jaguars, so the jaguar skirts were colored accordingly.
Inscription tablets
The Temple of Inscriptions gets its name from three hieroglyphic tablets, known as the East Tablet, the Central Tablet, and the West Tablet, on the temple's inner walls. These tablets emphasize the idea that events that happened in the past will be repeated on the same calendar date, a theme also found in the Books of Chilam Balam, and constitute one of the longest known Maya inscriptions (617 glyphs). Columns E through F mark the beginning of a record of various events in Pakal's life that continues until the last two columns on the tablets, which announce his death and name Kan B'alam II as his heir. All of the tablets, excluding the final two columns, were completed during Pakal's lifetime.Structure
To prevent the collapse of the tomb due to the immense weight of the pyramid, thearchitects designed the hut-shaped chamber using cross vaulting and recessed buttresses.
Sarcophagus
Among these finds was the lid of Pakal’s sarcophagusSarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
. In the image that covers it, Pakal lies on top of the “earth monster.” Below him are the open jaws of a jaguar, symbolizing Xibalba
Xibalba
Xibalba , roughly translated as "place of fear", is the name of the underworld in Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. In 16th-century Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba was traditionally held to be a cave in the vicinity of Cobán, Guatemala. According to some of the...
. Above him is the Celestial Bird, perched atop the Cosmic Tree (represented by a cross) which, in turn, holds a Serpent in its branches. Thus, in the image Pakal lies between two worlds: the heavens and the underworld. Also on the sarcophagus are Pakal’s ancestors, arraigned in a line going back six generations.
Other
Pakal’s death mask is another extraordinary artifact found in the tomb. The face of the mask is made entirely of jadeJade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
, while the eyes consist of shells, mother of pearl, and obsidian
Obsidian
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock.It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth...
.
There were several smaller jade heads packed into Pakal’s sarcophagus and a stucco portrait of the king was found under the base of it.
Five skeletons, both male and female, were found at the entrance of the crypt. These sacrificial victims were intended to follow Pakal into Xibalba.
See also
- El Castillo, Chichen ItzaEl Castillo, Chichen Itza;El Castillo , also known as the Temple of Kukulkan, is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza archaeological site in the Mexican state of Yucatán...
- List of Mesoamerican pyramids
- Pyramid of the MagicianPyramid of the MagicianThe Pyramid of the Magician is a Mesoamerican step pyramid located in the ancient, Pre-Columbian city of Uxmal, Mexico. The structure is also referred to as the Pyramid of the Dwarf, Casa el Adivino, and the Pyramid of the Soothsayer...
at UxmalUxmalUxmal was dominant from 875 to 900 CE. The site appears to have been the capital of a regional state in the Puuc region from 850-950 CE. The Maya dynasty expanded their dominion over their neighbors. This prominence didn't last long... - Tikal Temple ITikal Temple ITikal Temple I is the designation given to one of the major structures at Tikal, one of the largest cities and archaeological sites of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Mesoamerica. It is located in the Petén Basin region of northern Guatemala...
- Tikal Temple IITikal Temple IITikal Temple II is a Mesoamerican pyramid at the Maya archaeological site of Tikal in the Petén Department of northern Guatemala. The temple was built in the Late Classic Period in a style reminiscent of the Early Classic...
- Tikal Temple IIITikal Temple IIITikal Temple III, also known as the Temple of the Jaguar Priest, was one of the principal temple pyramids at the ancient Maya city of Tikal, in the Petén Department of modern Guatemala. The temple stands approximately tall. The summit shrine of Temple III differs from those of the other major...
- Tikal Temple IVTikal Temple IVTikal Temple IV is a Mesoamerican pyramid in the ruins of the ancient Maya city of Tikal in modern Guatemala. It was one of the tallest and most voluminous buildings in the Maya world. The pyramid was built around 741 AD. Temple IV is located at the western edge of the site core...
- Tikal Temple VTikal Temple VTikal Temple V is the name given by archaeologists to one of the major pyramids at Tikal. Tikal is one of the most important archaeological sites of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization and is located in the Petén Department of northern Guatemala....