Imagine digging in rubble for multiple years, not knowing if you'd find anything. Down, down, down you'd go, with hopes and hunches to guide you. Well, this is exactly what one archaeologist did in the dense jungle of Chiapas, Mexico. Alberto Ruz Lhuillier was excavating the ancient Maya site of Palenque and had entered the top of one of the most important temples, now called the Temple of the Inscriptions. At one point, he saw some holes in the floor and wondered why they might be there. Lifting the stone, he found a stairway filled with rubble.
Ruz's hunch?
That something or someone of great importance was located at the other end of this staircase.
Finding the tomb of Pakal at Palenque
What he'd discover after a few years is one of the most amazing archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. That would be the tomb of Pakal, the most famous ancient Maya king known today.
His sarcophagus is arguably the most famous example of Maya sculpture, and Pakal's visage—borrowed from one of his portraits—graces a lot of merchandise in Mexico: t-shirts, cups, stickers, posters, bags, magnets, and so much more. After spending six weeks with my kids in Mexico this summer, they became so familiar with Pakal that they started to rant about the need for something or someone else.
They got Pakal-ed out. It shows you how very famous Pakal is though!
D23 concept art for Indiana Jones and Pakal
Given what I've noted above, it is probably no surprise to anyone reading this that objects associated with Pakal have influenced Disney artists and Imagineers. That was most recently on display with the D23 Expo reveal (AKA, the biggest Disney fan event!) that an Indiana Jones attraction would be heading to Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. The premise is that Indy discovers a hidden Maya temple with a mysterious presence inside it.
The concept art shows that Disney is leaning hard into the ancient Maya world. And wouldn't you know it: elements from Pakal's tomb play an important part!
The story of the discovery of Pakal's tomb and Pakal himself is exciting for younger learners or even my fellow kids-at-heart. Is it any wonder then that Disney would borrow from Pakal and Palenque?
King Pakal at Palenque and his sarcophagus
Pakal or, more accurately, K'inich Janaab' Pakal was a ruler of the city-state of Palenque during the 7th century. Before his death, he commissioned his tomb be constructed beneath the Temple of the Inscriptions. The sarcophagus and tomb chamber were made first, and the temple was built around them.
Inside the tomb lay his massive sarcophagus. Among the many amazing things discovered inside it, Pakal's jade death mask is one of the most remarkable. It rests over his face, and it is made of pieces of bright green jade. The ancient Maya associated green and jade with life-giving forces and maize (corn), their staple crop. One of the most important deities in the Maya pantheon was even the Maize God! Pakal is fashioned as the Maize God himself, which is a powerful statement.
But you know what is even more famous than the amazing death mask? The sarcophagus itself.
It is made of stone, and the lid or cover is decorated in relief. It shows Pakal on his back, looking up. A tree rises upwards behind him, and below him is a skeletonized face. That tree is the World Tree, which the Maya believe connects the Earth to the heavens. With its jaws open, the monstrous face represents the Underworld, called Xibalba.
The sarcophagus lid shows Pakal between two realms, which makes sense given that he's died and is now between the realms of the dead, the earth, and the upperworld.
Pakal also wears jade ornaments on the sarcophagus lid, just like he does inside the sarcophagus.
The new Indiana Jones attraction
Let's look at that Disney concept art again for the new Indiana Jones attraction. See how Indiana Jones is approaching some floating bright green presence? Well, the artist borrowed the World Tree from Pakal's sarcophagus lid and modified it to look like a mysterious "thing" inside this Maya temple. While we have the clear visual borrowing, to me it doesn't make sense to transform the World Tree into some floating, ghostlike, mystical presence. So Disney did their homework in ways, but I'm not entirely convinced this aspect works.
It's too early to say whether Disney will follow through on this design. It is a concept drawing after all. But I REALLY want them to do justice to the ancient Maya, even if it gets sensationalized to some degree.
I will tackle the rest of the Indiana Jones concept art in another post and videos.
For now, though, if you want to learn more about Pakal, you can check out my ARTSQ video below and an ARTSQ post that goes into greater detail about the discovery of Pakal's tomb!
Comments