Who is the Red Queen of Palenque?

In this video, we focus on the 1994 discovery of an elite ancient Maya woman’s tomb inside Temple XIII at the ancient city of Palenque. Likely the wife of Pakal the Great, Lady Ix Tz’akbu Ajaw, the Red Queen was buried in the 7th century with precious objects made of jade, obsidian, shell, and malachite, including her death mask. Her richly adorned tomb offers insight into the role of royal women, Maya funerary traditions, and the symbolism of materials like cinnabar and jade.

This video is perfect for:

• Middle and high school students studying ancient civilizations

• Educators teaching ancient Maya history, archaeology, or art history

• Lifelong learners curious about ancient tombs and royal women

• Fans of Mesoamerican culture and archaeology

• Anyone interested in Palenque, Pakal the Great, or ancient Maya queenship

• Anyone interested in the history of women

Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction to the Maya city-state Palenque and a 1994 discovery

0:25 Who was the Red Queen of Palenque?

0:46 Proximity ot the Temple of the Inscriptions and relationship to Pakal

0:55 Cinnabar

1:12 Lady Ix Tz’akbu Ajaw, wife of Pakal

1:38 Burial objects

2:53 Tombs tell us about Maya women

Learn more

Check out our entire glossary of art history: https://www.artsq.org/about-key-terms-ideas-art-history

Learn about Pakal’s death mask and the discovery of his tomb: https://www.artsq.org/king-pakal-of-palenque-ancient-maya