Hi! I'm an anthropology student in Prof. Hoopes' class and I'm working on an entry on the Temple of Inscriptions. I'm going to use this page primarily to work on my Wikipedia entry before I set it up; it's due September 22, so it will be complete by then, but I'm putting it online in sections as time allows. Here it is.
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editThe Temple of Inscriptions
editThe Temple of Inscriptions is a large pyramid of the Maya civilization, specifically the funerary monument for K’inich Janaab Pakal[1] (also referred to as Pacal the Great), ajaw or king of Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico. Within Palenque, the Temple of Inscriptions is located in an area known as the Temple of Inscriptions’ Court and stands at a right angle to the Southeast of the Palace.[2] The Temple of Inscriptions has been significant in the study of the ancient Maya, not only because of its unique function (it is the only Mesoamerican pyramid built as a funerary monument), but also 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 Pacal.[3][4]
Structure
editThe structure is comprised 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 script for which the temple was named. Inside the temple, a stairway leads to the crypt containing the sarcophagus of Pacal.
History
editThe Temple of Inscriptions was finished a short time after A.D. 683. The construction was initiated by Pacal himself, although his son, K'inich Kan B'alam II[5](also known as Chan Bahlum 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 Pacal 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 lead into Pacal’s tomb. [6]
Piers
editThe 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 stucco. 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.[7]
Pier A
editPier 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
editPier B depicts a scene in which a human figure holds the “child” God K, 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 the Pacal’s son, Chan-Bahlum II, who is portrayed in portraits with six fingers on one hand and six toes on one foot.
Pier C
editThe standing figure on Pier C is thought to be a woman, possibly Pacal’s mother, Lady Zac-Kuk. The appearance of the psychoduct (a hollow duct that goes from the outer temple into the tomb of Pacal) and the stone band that connects to it have lead many to compare the structure to an umbilical cord. The fact that this “umbilical cord” connects the figure on Pier C to Pacal’s tomb (and by extension, Pacal 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
editPier 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
editThe standing figure on Pier E is most likely Chan-Bahlum I. The elaborate headdress worn by the figure contains glyphs that identify him as “chan-bahlum.” It is unlikely that this refers to Chan Bahlum II because he is thought to be represented by the figure of God K. Because Chan Bahlum II, great-great-grandson of Chan-Bahlum 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
editPier 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 Chan-Bahlum,” after which comes an unknown glyph (possibly another title), and the glyph for Palenque.
Coloration
editAlthough 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 stucco 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.
The Inscription Tablets
editThe 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 emphasis the idea that events that happened in the past will be repeated on the same calender date, a theme also found in the Books of Chilam Balam, and constitute the one of the longest known Maya inscriptions (617 glyphs). Columns E through F mark the beginning of a record of various events in Pacal's life that continues until the last two columns on the tablets, which announce his death and name Chan-Bahlum II as his heir. All of the tablets, excluding the final two columns, were completed during Pacal's lifetime. [8]
The Tomb of Pacal
editStructure
editTo prevent the collapse of the tomb due to the immense weight of the pyramid, the architects designed the hut-shaped chamber using cross vaulting and recessed buttresses.[9]
Artifacts
editThe tomb of Pacal yielded several important archaeological finds and works of art.
Sarcophagus
editAmong these finds was the lid of Pacal’s sarcophagus. In the image that covers it, Pacal 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 Pacal lies between two worlds: the heavens and the underworld. Also on the sarcophagus are Pacal’s ancestors, arraigned in a line going back six generations. [10]
Other
editPacal’s death mask is another extraordinary artifact found in the tomb. The face of the mask is made entirely of jade, while the eyes consist of shells, mother of pearl, and obsidian.
There were several smaller jade heads packed into Pacal’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 Pacal into Xibalba. [11]
Notes
editAll information on the piers was taken from Robertson 1983: 29-53.
- ^ Guenter:1
- ^ Robertson 1983:map 3
- ^ Robertson 1983:24,26,54
- ^ Stierlin 2001:79
- ^ Guenter:3
- ^ Robertson 1983:23
- ^ Robertson 1983
- ^ Robertson 1983:54
- ^ Stierlin 2001:77
- ^ Stierlin 2001:80
- ^ Stierlin 2001:79
References
edit- Guenter, Stanley (n.d.). "The Tomb of K'inich Janaab Pakal: The Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque" (PDF). Mesoweb Articles. Mesoweb. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
{{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in|author=at position 1 (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: year (link) - Robertson, Merle Greene (1983). The Sculpture of Palenque. Volume I: The Temple of Inscriptions. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-03560-1.
{{cite book}}: templatestyles stripmarker in|author=at position 1 (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Stierlin, Henri (2001). The Maya: Palaces and Pyramids of the Rainforest. London; New York: Taschen. ISBN 3-8228-1241-2.
{{cite book}}: templatestyles stripmarker in|author=at position 1 (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Editing and Comments
editI think you've done a nice job with this, especially by creating a structure that will permit future expansion of descriptions and interpretations of the piers and glyphic panels. I think that some further general introduction to the structure and its significance would be helpful. This should be done without repeating too much of what's already available in the entries on Pacal the Great and Palenque. I've make some corrections and changes here on this draft page. Don't hesitate to contact me if you've got any questions. Hoopes (talk) 19:54, 1 October 2008 (UTC)