Templo de las Inscripciones Group: Palenque's Majestic Temples and Royal Tombs
Upon entering from the main gate, the dense vegetation parts dramatically, unveiling one of Palenque's most breathtaking vistas. To your right, a row of temples emerges from the jungle, leading to the iconic Templo de las Inscripciones about 100m ahead. El Palacio, distinguished by its signature tower, rises to the left, while the Grupo de las Cruces looms in the distant jungle canopy.
The first temple on the right is Templo XII, known as the Templo de la Calavera due to the striking relief of a rabbit or deer skull at the base of one pillar. The next temple holds minimal interest. Templo XIII houses the tomb of a prominent female figure, discovered in 1994 with remains treated in cinnabar, giving them a red hue. Peer into the Tumba de la Reina Roja (Tomb of the Red Queen) to view her sarcophagus. Accompanying the skeleton were a malachite mask and over 1,000 jade artifacts. DNA analysis and similarities to neighboring tombs suggest she was Tz'ak-b'u Ajaw, wife of Pakal. Nearby, under the trees in front of Templo XIII, lies the tomb of archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier, who unearthed Pakal's tomb in 1952.
The Templo de las Inscripciones stands as one of the Americas' most renowned burial monuments—Palenque's tallest and most elegant structure. Built across eight levels with a central staircase ascending 25m to small upper chambers, it once featured a towering roofcomb (now lost). Stucco panels between the doorways depict noble figures. Inside, three rear-wall tablets bear the longest known Maya inscription, chronicling Palenque's history and this temple's significance—hence its name, given by Alberto Ruz Lhuillier. From the summit, stairs descend to the tomb of Pakal (currently closed indefinitely to protect murals from visitor humidity). Pakal's jeweled skeleton and jade death mask were relocated to Mexico City, with a replica tomb at the Museo Nacional de Antropología. The mask was stolen in a 1985 heist but later recovered; a replica of the carved stone sarcophagus lid is on display in the site museum.
