Pacal (also spelled "Pakal") was the ruler of Palenque in Southern Mexico during the 7th century. This image is a representation of the carved lid of his sarcophagus (coffin). "Pacal's Sarcophagus," as it is commonly called, has commanded a great deal of attention since its appearance in the 1968 best selling book by Erich von Däniken, "Chariots of the Gods." It has become proof for many who insist that alien astronauts visited the Earth and that they interacted with human beings, and with the Mayans in particular. They say that this image clearly depicts King Pacal as an astronaut, with his hand on the control panel and his foot on the pedal. It has been speculated that he has an oxygen tube in his mouth. On the other hand, those fluent in Mayan iconography will tell you that this carving is not that of an ancient astronaut, but of the great Mayan ruler, King Pacal, at the moment of his death. He is shown falling through the Mayan equivalent of the Tree of Life into underworld where he will be re-born. ~ Look at this image straight on as well as from the side and make up your own mind. Whether you see an astronaut or symbolic representation of the cycle of death and rebirth, this is an amazing and wonderful image.