Click on this image for the Astronaut view

Is this an ancient astronaut?   Cited by Erich Von Daniken in his book, Chariots of the Gods, the sarcophagus of Pacal, Lord of Palenque, was discovered in a tomb deep within the pyramid called the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque.   Although some believe the image on the lid, as shown above, depicts an early astronaut at the controls of his spaceship, archaeologists propose that it shows Lord Pacal at the moment of his death (683 AD).  He is falling (see left) into the jaws of the great underworld Monster, while the Vision Serpent writhes below the Celestial Bird, who sits atop the World Tree.  These symbols demonstrate the Maya belief that the spirit of the king would eventually return from his underworld journey to assist his successor in ceremonial visions.