Pakals

Pakals is a term used to refer to the Pakal dynasty, the ruling lineage of the Maya city-state of Palenque in what is now Chiapas, Mexico, during the Late Classic period (roughly 600–800 CE). The dynasty is best known for its long-lasting royal line and its major architectural and ceremonial achievements that helped shape Palenque’s political and religious landscape.

The most famous member of the Pakal lineage is K'inich Janaab' Pakal, commonly called Pakal the Great, who reigned from approximately 615 to 683 CE. His rule coincided with significant construction activity at Palenque, including the development of the Temple of the Inscriptions, where the central royal tomb of Pakal is located. The tomb is paired with a richly carved sarcophagus lid that scholars interpret as Pakal in a cosmic ascent from the underworld, a portrayal that has influenced both Maya studies and popular culture.

The Pakal dynasty continued to influence Palenque for several generations, maintaining the city’s prestige and engaging in networks of diplomacy and warfare with neighboring Maya polities. Inscriptions from Palenque and adjacent sites record the deeds, genealogies, and religious roles of Pakal rulers, reflecting the centrality of kingship, ritual, and cosmology in Palenque’s civic life.

In modern scholarship, the Pakals are discussed as a key royal line within Maya civilization, contributing to understandings of Maya chronology, monumental architecture, and the iconography of kingship. The legacy of the Pakals endures in the architectural remains, inscriptions, and the enduring public interest in Pakal the Great’s tomb and its significance for Maya art and religion.