---
node: na_pakal_lid
type: art
slug: sarcophagus_lid_of_pakal
title: "The sarcophagus lid of Pakal"
lead: "The sarcophagus lid of Pakal is a carved limestone slab covering the tomb of the Maya king Pakal the Great at Palenque, made around 683. It is one of the masterpieces of Classic Maya art."
published: 2026-07-13
updated: 2026-07-13
image_file: sarcophagus_lid_of_pakal.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pakal_the_Great_tomb_lid.png"
image_author: "Madman2001"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 3.0"
---

## Overview

Pakal ruled the city of Palenque for most of the 7th century and was buried deep within the Temple of the Inscriptions. His tomb, found intact in 1952, was sealed by a large, intricately carved stone lid.

## Description

The relief shows the dead king poised between the earthly world and the underworld, framed by a world-tree and celestial bands in dense Maya iconography. Its imagery is a compact statement of Maya cosmology and sacred kingship.

## History and legacy

The tomb is among the richest royal burials known from the ancient Americas. The lid is celebrated as a high point of Classic Maya art, and has also attracted fringe misreadings that scholars reject.