Pictures: Mysterious Maya Tomb Explored for First Time

Seeing Red

Photograph courtesy Héctor Montaño, INAH

Perhaps the tomb's most captivating characteristics are the bright, crimson murals painted within (pictured).

These particular murals, Stuart said, are of "a very strange style" for Palenque, which is known for its realistic renderings of figures.

"These are more schematic, and look like they were painted quickly."

The Maya empire—which spread across modern-day Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Mexico, and Honduras—is known for its incredible buildings, many of which still stand today, as well as cultural and scientific achievements.

(Explore an interactive map of key Maya sites.)

Published November 30, 2012

Shedding Light

Photograph courtesy Héctor Montaño, INAH

Now that they have access, researchers are excavating the roughly 1,500-year-old tomb (pictured).

After it was first found, a remotely operated camera was sent down to photograph its interior—but nobody has been allowed to enter until now.

According to INAH, the burial chamber is 7 meters (23 feet) below the top of the tomb, which is located inside what's called Temple XX at Palenque.

(See "Why the Maya Fell: Climate Change, Conflict—And a Trip to the Beach?")

Published November 30, 2012

Mysterious Occupant

Photograph courtesy Héctor Montaño, INAH

Nine figures, such as this close-up profile, are depicted on the tomb's walls.

INAH hypothesizes that its occupant could be K'uk' B'ahlam, who reigned from A.D. 431 to 435 and was the founder of Pakal's dynasty.

But the style of the tomb and the ceramics inside it seem to place the structure later, in the sixth century, Stuart noted.

(See National Geographic pictures of Maya ruins and artifacts.)

Published November 30, 2012

"Snake Jaguar" King

Photograph courtesy Héctor Montaño, INAH

Sporting an elaborate headdress and shield, the Palenque king named Kan Bahlam, or Snake Jaguar, is depicted on one of the tomb walls.

Eight other figures are depicted as well, "each probably a different royal ancestor of the tomb occupant," said Stuart.

"The imagery of nine ancestors seems to have been a theme repeated in other Palenque royal tombs, such as Pakal's own huge one in the Temple of the Inscriptions."

The region's most famous king, Pakal, came to power in A.D. 615 at age 12 and ruled until he was in his 80s. He turned Palenque into a thriving, world-class city. Because Pakal built over much of what existed before him, little is known about the time prior to his ascension to power.

If this tomb predates the famous king, as INAH and Stuart suspect, its contents could offer clues about life in pre-Pakal times.

It's unclear yet what might be found inside, but it's "cool enough," said Stuart, that there's now "firm archaeological evidence of a Palenque ruler from the years before Pakal's reign."

(Read about the rise and fall of the Maya in National Geographic magazine.)

Published November 30, 2012

Work in Progress

Photograph courtesy Héctor Montaño, INAH

A person injects lime into a mural to prevent the paint from further erosion.

Further excavations will help date the tomb and perhaps identify its occupant. According to INAH, the research team is made up of 60 people, though only two or three are allowed in at a time, in special clothing, so as not to disrupt the area's temperature and humidity.

While the discovery itself isn't new, the fact that the tomb has been opened is important, said Stuart.

"We don't know a lot about the pre-Pakal era, so this is one of the few clues we have about the architecture and history of the time."

Published November 30, 2012

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Photograph courtesy Robert Slabonski

Published November 30, 2012