Palace & Pakal's Tomb to be restored

A team of restorers of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) will lead a conservation project in Palenque , seeking to restore some of the structural elements of the archaeological site, such as the Palace , Pakal's Tomb and the signature of Claude-Joseph Désire de Charnay, located in one of the pillars of the facade of House A.

Through a press release, the Institute detailed that the works will be led by experts Haydeé Orea Magaña and Arnoldo González.

In Pakal's Tomb, the project is considering a 3D scan of all reliefs and the monitoring of the atmospheric conditions of the place. Restorer Paula García says the tomb is a very complicated case and that almost a 2-year research will be needed to gather enough information about the enclosure to make key decisions. The early stage works are scheduled to begin in May.

García claims atmospheric conditions and poor-quality construction material are the combination responsible for the current status of Pakal's Tomb.

“Poor-quality lime and clay were used, thus with time, humidity and filtrations have damaged the reliefs.”

From the Palace, the project aims to restore House E – the oldest of the complex – and House C, built somewhere between 650A.C and 800A.C. House E has a water filtration which is causing salt deposits that, in turn, encourage the development of microorganisms, a combination of that is deteriorating the wall paintings.

This conservation project is financed by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.

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