PALENQUE

This photo is of part of the tomb lid of Pacal who ruled the Mayan empire in Mexcio from 603 AD for 68 years. Unfortunatley we didn't make it to this site while in Mexico in June. Timing and location made it just to hard to get there. Next time for sure.
Lucky i had Teotihucan, Chitzen Itza, Tulum and Coba to keep me happy in amazing, beautiful ruins.
This is actually a plaster cast i bought in a little road side store, its about 20cm by 10cm washed with brown.
I was trying out the functions of my new camera, long range and short range stuff. I'm pretty happy with its close detail. The whole thing has many more carvings around the edges.
It is so beautiful and detailed.
Some folk believe its proof that aliens walked amoung us. It does sort of look like a man at a control console i'll give them that. It would be amazing if there was any real proof of such a thing but i'm afraid not...
He is shown falling down the World Tree into the jaws of the Underworld. He is accompanied by an image of the head of a skeletal monster carrying a bowl marked with the sign of the sun. This sign indicates that Pacal would be reborn as a god by defeating the Lords of Death who live in the Underworld. Portraits of his ancestors can be seen around the four sides of his coffin. Each figure is wearing a headdress symbolizing a fruit tree.

;)