The Temple of the Inscriptions is the largest pyramid at Palenque and the most important funerary monument in the pre-Columbian world. Rising in nine terraces above the main plaza — each terrace representing one of the layers of the Maya underworld — it was built specifically as the burial monument of the ruler K'inich Janaab' Pakal, who died in 683 AD after a reign of 68 years.
Inside the temple at the top, three large panels contain 617 glyphs — the longest known Maya inscription, recording 180 years of Palenque's dynastic history. The staircase descending into the pyramid was discovered in 1952 by Alberto Ruz Lhuillier, who noticed a flagstone with unusual holes in the floor of the temple chamber. Four seasons of clearing later, the staircase reached the burial crypt at the pyramid's base: Pakal's remains, surrounded by jade ornaments, a jade death mask, and the magnificently carved sarcophagus lid that depicts his passage into the afterlife.
The tomb itself is no longer accessible to visitors — the delicate environment of the crypt made continued access unsustainable. But you can descend the original staircase into the pyramid to view the crypt door, which gives a sense of the space. The lid's replica in the site museum is worth studying closely: the iconography is dense and every detail has meaning.