Palenque is a Mayan city in Chiapas, Mexico. It was occupied during the Preclassic Period, but most of the building construction occurred in the Early Classic Period, around 600AD. Palenque had many rulers, but the most famous was K'inich Janaab', better known as Pakal, or Pakal the Great. Pakal's rule began in AD 615, when he was just twelve years old, and he ruled Palenque for 68 years. During his rule, Palenque was in the middle of conflict with other foreign states, but Pakal managed to solidify his authority in the midst of all this turmoil by establishing his divinity. His mother was considered the First Mother of Creation, and Pakal 'inherited' his mothers' divinity, making him a type of god.Pakal was buried in the Temple of Inscriptions which was built specifically to inter his body. The building is named after three panels inside the Temple that contain glyphs recording Pakal's dynastic heritage. This is the second-longest inscription in Mesoamerica after Copán's hieroglyphic staircase. Pakal's body was interred in a chamber in the Temple, along with five captives who were sacrificed to be his companions into the afterlife. The period of Pakal's reign was the height of Palenque's power, and the city was abandoned around AD 800.

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