Hello,

I am an undergraduate Anthropology student working on a paper concerning Maya cosmological/astronomical interpretation of the famous coffin lid of Pacal the Great from the city of palenque. The image depicts the deceased Pacal symbolically falling across the Wakah Chan into the jaws of the Cosmic Monster.

My question to this very knowledgeable group is this; through my research I have been able to decipher some of the imagery (Itzam Yeh/Ursa Major, the The Double-Headed Serpent/ecliptic and portals to Xibalba) but I am having difficulty locating any information on the specific imagery within the sky bands that enclose the image on the left and right.

I have found that the crossed bands of one of the glyphs represents the sky, but beyond that I have discovered precious little.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Anthony