Art & Archaeology of the Ancient Maya: Pakal the Great's Sarcophagus Lid

Human sacrifice, ancestor kings, vision serpents. Through a close examination of the sarcophagus lid of King Pakal the Great, learn about how the ancient Maya thought about and represented kingship, death, and the supernatural world.

39 total reviews for this teacher

Completed by 4 learners

55 minutes

per class

Meets once

9-13

year olds

2-6

learners per class

per learner

How does a “One-Time” class work?

Meets once at a scheduled time

Live video chat, recorded and monitored for safety and quality

Great for exploring new interests and different styles of teachers

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Available Times

Pacific Time

Mon May 30

Meet once (1 day)

Monday
7pm - 7:55pm

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Thu Jun 9

Meet once (1 day)

Thursday
3pm - 3:55pm

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Mon Aug 1

Meet once (1 day)

Monday
3pm - 3:55pm

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Description

Class Experience

This class offers a glimpse into the world of the ancient Maya through the life and death of K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603 - 683 CE), also known as Pakal the Great. While Maya kingship typically was passed down from father to son, Pakal was unusual in that he did not inherit the throne from his father; instead, Pakal's mother and grandmother had ruled the city of Palenque as kings! 

Like King Tutankhamun of Egypt, Pakal became a king while still a boy and is well-known, in part, due to his...

Students will learn about the life and legacy of King Pakal the Great.

Students will learn that the ancient Maya developed a system of beliefs to explain natural phenomena.

Students will learn about how the ancient Maya represented aspects of the natural and supernatural world in art, such as the sky band, vision serpent, and the jaws of the underworld.

I double-majored in Anthropology and Archaeology at Brown University, where I took several courses related to the ancient Maya and Mesoamerica, including two semesters of Ancient Maya Writing, Mesoamerican Archaeology, The Classic Maya, and an independent study on the use of quatrefoils in ancient Maya art.

A one-page handout will be provided.

55 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.

Sources include:
Coe, Michael D. and Houston, Stephen. (2015). The Maya. Ninth edition. New York: Thames & Hudson.
Coe, Michael D. and Van Stone, Mark. (2005). Reading the Maya Glyphs. New York: Thames & Hudson.
Martin, Simon. (2000). Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens. New York: Thames & Hudson.
Miller, Mary Ellen. (2014). Maya Art and Architecture. Second edition. New York: Thames & Hudson. 
Miller, Mary Ellen and Martin, Simon. (2004). Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya. New York: Thames & Hudson.

Teacher

Melissa Amaral (she/her)

🇺🇸

Lives in the United States

Helping students develop their curiosity and passion for learning

39 total reviews

89 completed classes

About Me

Hello!

My name is Melissa. I am a professional educator with over a decade of experience teaching and advising high school and college students. For the past few years, I have been teaching college students about how to plan for their futures,...