Unsolved mystery pakala Great — "the astronaut of Palenque"

In 1952, in Mexico, among the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Palenque, was discovered a tomb with the remains of a man, the skull of which was closed by amazing mask is made from many pieces of jade. The inscriptions on the walls of the burial chamber was talking about the fact that the body belongs to the ruler of K inicia Janaab Pacal or what we now call, Pakalu Great.

The tomb, a back 1,300 years, was found in the Temple of the Inscriptions, revealed the secret burial, the most powerful ruler of the Mayan did not have competitors in the Americas. But she was the source of many amazing puzzles. The main question, which since the mid-twentieth century can't find the answer scientists — which means "the astronaut of Palenque" depicted on the cover of a massive burial.

In 1968, the writer and Director Erich von Daniken, a big fan of theories of paleocontact, I noticed that people on the bas-relief is very similar to the astronaut at the time of the launch of the spacecraft. Position, in which the ancient artist has caught the owner of the sarcophagus, and in fact is optimal for starting loads. Head "astronaut" closed something like a helmet, his hands are on the bar, like a remote control, and body entangled lines, reminiscent of the wires and hoses.

In addition, it is easy to notice that his appearance and a few clothes this man is not like other Mayan, many of which were depicted on the walls of the Temple of the Inscriptions. It is interesting that sits "the astronaut of Palenque" on complex armchair from many parts, and behind him depicts a device from which escape the flames.

Initially, archaeologists have suggested that the bas-relief on the tomb depicts God, but when I tested funerary mask found in the crypt and the image I saw, that it is one and the same person. A common feature of the mask and the person astronaut is the nose, which starts much higher brow. More this type of person is not found anywhere else — the rest of the images people have large but well-formed nose. It turns out that "the astronaut of Palenque" is Pakal the Great, shrouded in the mysteries of the ancient ruler of a mighty state.

Said of the bas-relief is one of the principal investigators of burial, archaeologist Arnoldo Gonzalez.

On the throne of Pakal was in not the best for the state of Palenque time. The city was partially destroyed in the war with Kaan, another city-state, and the previous ruler died in the massacre enemies in the capital. The Kingdom was in deep decline majestic almost all the buildings were destroyed, looted the Treasury of the winners, and subjects remained almost a third.

In addition looming specter of hunger, as stocks almost was not, and the fields of maize kanene when caring burned. It is not known — whether the gods are merciful to the vanquished or the young king, who was assisted by the same inexperienced on the Board of a mother, showed his extraordinary talents, but the state of Palenque survived and began to develop and flourish.

Obviously, the nearby town of Maya Kaan could not endure such a Renaissance and again raised an army to finally destroy Palenque and young but ambitious pakala. Spies the young king, who had access to the camp of the enemy, timely warned of the attack and Pacal the Great decided to strike first. His army, greatly inferior to the enemy in number of soldiers, helped the effect of surprise. The attack on the army Kaan standing camp and only preparing to storm the city, brought a landslide victory.Pakalu got not only a lot of slaves and weapons, but the rulers themselves Kaan. Not too long after this, the king ordered to bring them all, place military commanders in sacrifice to the gods of corn, lightning and snakes, which was immediately executed. It was not the last war during the long reign pakala, but the neighbors of Kaan never bothered.

When Pacal the Great city-state of Palenque has achieved incredible power has increased in size and had many Grand religious buildings, some of which have survived to the present day. Maya Chronicles say that Pakal the Great died in an incredible Indians of those times the age of 80 years, which was another proof of his divine origin.

Scientists are still unraveling image "astronaut of Palenque" — until we have a dry description of the victories of the ruler left by contemporary, strange images, and many hypotheses. Jade mask and other objects from the burial of the Great pakala can be seen today in the great reconstruction of the tomb, at the National Museum of anthropology in Mexico city.