This page is viewed 249 times Fox NewsMexican archaeologists say they have identified a possible, previously unknown second son of 7th century Mayan ruler Pakal based on fragments of an interior wall panel located within the Palenque archaeological zone of the southern state of Chiapas.The stone fragments correspond to the so-called Northern Tablet of the Temple of the Sun Sanctuary and were recovered nearby in 1993 by archaeologist Arnoldo Gonzalez after looters had stolen them at the beginning of the 20th century.The wall panel is approximately 1.6 meters (5.2 feet) long and 80 centimeters (31 inches) tall and contains between 20-27 glyphic scenes.In 2009, an epigraphist from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History, Guillermo Bernal Romero, interpreted the glyphic text found in the recovered panel fragments and found mention of a second son of Pakal named Wak...nal B'ahlam Ch'aaj II Sibik Kan.In addition to the name, the glyph also mentions that Wak...nal participated in Palenque's military campaign of 687 A.D. against the ancient Maya city of Tonina and was the son of the ruler K'inich Janaahb' Pakal (Pakal the Great) and lady Tz'ak-b'u Ajaw, known as the Red Queen."Although in the glyph he is clearly identified as a son of Pakal and the Red Queen, we're left with the doubt that he may have been mentioned for having participated in the military campaign together with Pakal's first-born son: K'inich Kan B'ahlam," Bernal Romero said.He added that there is no other information about Wak...nal's life, although - if he was the ruler's son - he was born after K'inich Kan B'ahlam because the latter inherited the throne from Pakal.Another possible interpretation of the glyphic text suggests that Wak...nal was a type of deity who accompanied Pakal's first-born son during the war against Tonina.The sanctuaries of the Temple of the Sun are the only areas of Palenque's Temple of the Cross group that contain inscriptions referring to the military campaign against Tonina.
