It is well known that "Dvurechye" is the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where was born the oldest centers of civilization and where now is Iraq. But the second anniversary is in America. It is located in the Southeast of Mexico, in the state of Chiapas, occupying a hilly, covered with forest plateau between the two flowing rivers - Grihalva and Usumacinta. Before Christ there was inhabited by Indian tribes Maya, who created many small kingdoms, warring with each other.

One of the kings was called Bacale. Around the first century BC his subjects began to build a city named Lakomka, which meant "Big water".

The white-stone city grew steadily, not much different from similar cities in the neighboring kingdoms. But in 615 year on the throne of Bacale ascended 12-year-old Cynic-Kanab-pakal I. First, he ruled under the Regency of his mother, and approximately 625 year was an absolute monarch.

Pakal achieved prosperity in the country, successfully waged war and became known as the king-Builder. If it were built hundreds of temples, palaces and public buildings, as well as aqueducts and roads...

He was called pakal Great, Holy Lord, and worshipped almost as God. Died ruler century 683 year, having been on the throne for 68 years.

And then in the Kingdom Bacale began a series of unrest and turmoil. In the middle of the IX century people mysterious reason to leave the confines of his millennial Kingdom. Deserted territory began to get covered with jungle...

THE TEMPLE OF THE INSCRIPTIONS

In the XVIII century, literally next to the dead city passed conquistadors of Cortez, but they did not notice the stone communities, bound creeping vegetation. Conquerors accompanied the monks and missionaries who under the pretext of struggle with paganism fire was set to the written monuments of history and culture of the Maya. It seemed a bit more, and the memory of the ancient kingdoms of Mesoamerica will disappear forever.

In the end of XVIII century the ruins of abandoned, partially absorbed by the earth viewed Spanish captain, checking information, received from local priest, who, in turn, referred to the Indians.

By analogy with the nearest Indian settlement deserted town received the name of Palenque. However, the report Spanish officer did not cause then interest.

Mexico experienced a turbulent period of wars, coups and revolutions. Has passed many more decades before on the mysterious plateau rose early travelers, followed by the scientists-archeologists, historians, ethnographers. And yet for a long time the city of Palenque, about the true story which at that time was not known almost nothing interesting, only a rather narrow circle of the professionals.

But in the summer of 1952 appeared here scientist, has given mankind a sensation worldwide. It was a Mexican archaeologist albert Rus Luilu. He stood on the top platform 9-step pyramid, where stood the Temple of Inscriptions, so named because its walls and even columns were full of hieroglyphic inscriptions Maya.

By the time the scientific community believed that the Temple of the Inscriptions served as an ancient sanctuary. Rus was the first who drew attention to the stove in one of the buildings of the temple, the stove, the sides of which were a stone inserts - a kind of tube. By order Rus workers took these inserts, after which they were able to raise the stove.

ROYAL SARCOPHAGUS

Opened a move that led somewhere down inside giant 28-meter pyramid. Almost up to the top he was filled with a mixture of large stones, gravel and earth. Within four field seasons expedition albert Rus went about cleaning "holes". It was a stone staircase with 66 stairs, so narrow, that we had the impression that the tunnel breaks down vertically. The very ladder had a secret: she was not straight, but did zigzag with the letter Z and led to the camera, located at the level of the base of the pyramid.

Here, in certain similarities tombs, scientists have found six skeletons and found that they belong to the five boys and one girl, and the noblemen. Everything pointed to the fact that they had been victims of some kind of ritual. In the wall of the camera could be seen triangular plate. After removing it, archaeologists proceeded further.

Later Rus thus recalled that: "From the thick darkness, into the light from a flashlight suddenly appeared fabulous picture is fantastic, unearthly world. It seemed that this magic grotto, carved in ice. Its walls sparkled and shimmered like a snow crystals in the sun. As a fringe huge curtain, hanging fine festoons of stalactites. And stalagmites on the floor looked like drops of water in the giant mud candle. Tomb reminded abandoned temple. On its walls paraded sculpted figures of alabaster. Then my eyes fell on the floor. It almost completely covers the huge, well-preserved stone plate with relief images".

Five-ton slab lifted from the car jacks and logs. Having overcome a number of obstacles, scientists opened the sarcophagus.

There, on the background of bright purple paint and a scattering of green-blue jade jewelry, I came to a well-preserved human skeleton. It was the last resting place of the ruler pakalya! His face was covered with a mosaic jade mask with eyes of mother-of-pearl shells and pupils from obsidian. This mask being an exact portrait of the deceased, told researchers appearance of the king of the Mayan through 13th centuries!

All stone sarcophagus, according to archaeologists, weighed over 20 tons.

To this weigh down the steep stairs was unthinkable. And this meant that the first built the tomb, and then above it built the pyramid and the temple. On its uniqueness, this disposal is comparable only with the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu in Egypt's great pyramid. After the funeral the stairs were covered with a mixture of stones and earth, that forever barred here the way for the fans of easy money.

And to communicate with the spirit of the deceased was arranged long stone pipe, bent in the form of the figure of the snake, which runs from the crypt of the temple.

The mystery, however, was hidden in the fact that the skeleton belonged to a strong and tall man at the age of 40-50 years, Pacal died at the 81st year of a life.

However, the scientific community has recognized that under the Temple of the Inscriptions it rests pakal!

THE ROCKET PLANE OR PATTERNS?

However, the most heated debate, which do not cease to our days, caused the picture on the lid of the sarcophagus of king Maya. In the centre is extremely intense, full of symbols carved shows the composition full of energy man. Back it is located on a bed of the basis which is creepy mask monsters. But the man like not concerned about the presence of evil forces; his eye is up to where on the bar strange cross writhing serpent with two heads. From the jaws of these heads look men in masks of God of rain.

Archaeologist-discoverer found in the composition of the Association with God maize, who, according to legends Maya, died every year, but always regenerated.

Quite a different point of view was expressed by the Swiss writer and archaeologist Erich von Daniken, the scenario of which was filmed widely known documentary film "memories of the future".

He came to the conclusion that the figure in the bas-relief "is an exact copy of the astronaut sitting at the remote control the spacecraft. He keeps one foot on the pedal and looks at the facilities located in front of him. With the rear of the ship is visible exhaust emissions".

Over time and the "earthly", and "space" version appeared as ardent supporters and furious opponents. Among adherents of "space" version not only science fiction and ufologists, but many serious scientists. More recently, the American aircraft designer Glanderson laid the reproduction of a controversial figure in the computer, and he has transformed a flat image of three-dimensional. The result was the space capsule with remote control and propulsion system.

In response historians conservative call details "spacecraft" just typical Mayan patterns. However, the "earthly" version has a number of original variations.

Himself Alberto Rus, is not considered the king pakalya cosmonaut, said, referring to the growth and several other features of the deceased ruler, "this character could occur not from the Maya. Soon, the idea arose about the transatlantic voyages seafarers ancient Mediterranean, which brought wild Indians high culture, became the ancestors of the Royal dynasties and taught Maya build the pyramids.

In 1994, in one of the Temple of the Inscriptions structures, in the so-called Temple of XIII, it was found the second such disposal, with exactly the same sarcophagus.

Nakhodka is called "tombs "the red Queen", because the female skeleton inside the sarcophagus was literally covered with cinnabar. It is believed that there buried wife pakalya, who died before him.

Obviously, we expect and other discoveries, because of the many hundreds of monuments of the ancient city today really studied hardly a tenth.

Valery Nechiporenko