The tomb of the Red Queen of Palenque

In 1994, during archaeological excavations in Temple XIII of the ancient Mexican city of Palenque, a team of scientists and other specialists made an exceptional discovery: the burial chamber of a woman, coated with bright red cinnabar powder and containing all the attributes of a royal tomb. She was named the Red Queen by the lead archaeologist of the excavations, Arnoldo González Cruz. Further investigations suggest that she was Tz’ak-b’u Ajaw, the consort of the young king K’inich Janahb Pakal, under whose rule Palenque established itself as the indisputable powerhouse of the western Maya Lowlands.

Technical details