But the inscription of the Tablet of the 96 Hieroglyphs - a record of predecessor rulers created by K'inich Ahkal Mo' Nahb's younger son - both starts and ends with Pacal the Great, as if to say, This is the dynasty of K'inich Janahb' Pakal.
The discovery of the new Palenque ruler sheds light on the great mystery of Tablet of the 96 Hieroglyphs. Students of the incription have long wondered why there is no mention of K'inich Kan B'alam, the eldest son of Pacal the Great, in the list of rulers preceding K'uk' B'alam, the creator of the monument. The absence of the new ruler reveals the pattern. As pointed out by Carolyn Jones (personal communication, 2000), K'uk' B'alam omitted older brothers from his list. |
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