The Aztec sun stone, also known as the Calendar Stone, is a late post-classic Mexica sculpture housed in the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City. It’s perhaps the most famous work of Mexica sculpture. The stone measures 3.6 metres in diameter, is 98 centimetres thick, and
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The Aztec sun stone, also known as the Calendar Stone, is a late post-classic Mexica sculpture housed in the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City. It’s perhaps the most famous work of Mexica sculpture. The stone measures 3.6 metres in diameter, is 98 centimetres thick, and weighs 24,590 kg.
Despite its name, the stone is not a functioning calendar. Instead, it’s an elaborately carved solar disk, which for the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures represented rulership. The stone depicts the five consecutive worlds of the sun from Aztec mythology. The central face of the stone could represent either the sun god Tonatiuh (the Day Sun) or Yohualtonatiuh (the Night Sun) or the primordial earth monster Tlaltecuhtli.
Around the central face at four points are the other four suns which successively replaced each other after the gods Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca struggled for control of the cosmos until the era of the 5th sun was reached. The suns are known by the day name on which their final destruction occurred.
The stone was discovered in December 1790 in the central plaza of Mexico City. It was once a part of the architectural complex of the Temple Mayor. The stone would originally have been laid flat on the ground and possibly anointed with blood sacrifices. When it was discovered, the stone was lying flat and upside down, perhaps in an attempt to prevent the final cataclysm - the fall of the 5th and final sun - as the Aztec world fell apart following the attack from the Old World.
The Aztec sun stone is a testament to the rich and complex history of the Aztec civilization and provides valuable insights into their religious beliefs and practices. It’s a fascinating piece of history that continues to captivate researchers and enthusiasts alike.
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