The Aztec Sun Stone (Spanish Piedra del Sol) is perhaps the most famous sculpture of pre-Columbian Mexico and one that there is still a lot to learn about. At first, people thought it was an Aztec calendar. But we now know that it is not quite the case. It seems to have a grizzly past linked with solar eclipses and human sacrifice.
The Aztec sun stone was rediscovered on 17 December 1790 during repairs of the Mexico City Cathedral (that is arguably the most impressive building in Mexico City). It had been buried after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and the systematic destruction of the empire and its monuments.
About The Aztec Sun Stone
It is massive and measures 141 inches or 358 cm in diameter, is 39 inches or 98 centimeters thick, and weighs 54,210 lbs or 24,590 kg.
- Diameter: 141 Inches or 358 cm
- Thickness: 39 Inches or 98 cm
- Weight: 54,210 lbs or 24,590 kg
- Also Called: Calendar Stone
Estimates now believe it was craved close to the end of the Aztec Empire between 1502 and 1521. It is a monolith and was carved by the Mexica and the name glyph of the Aztec rule Moctezuma II enables researchers to date the period of his reign.
- Carved: Between 1502 and 1521
There are no clear indications for the purpose of the monolith. The parent rock from which it was carved must have been extracted from the Xitle volcano. It would likely have been dragged by thousands of people for up to 22 kilometers into the heart of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (where one can still see the remnants of their ancient temple today).
- Dragged: Could Have Been Dragged 22 km or 13.6 miles
According to one source, the Archbishop of Mexico (from 1551 to 1572) order that the Sun Stone be buried so that "the memory of the ancient sacrifice that was made there would be lost."
Its Role In Aztec Cosmology
Today it is one of the most important remaining artifacts of the Aztec Empire.
One new study interprets the stone's central image as the death of the sun god Tonatiuh during an eclipse. This is an event that the Aztecs believed would lead to an apocalypse with earthquakes.
- Tonatiuh: Sun God Pronounced "toe-NAH-tee-uh"
- Aztec Empire: Dominated Much Of Central Mexico From Around 1325 to the 1520s
One belief is that it was where the Aztecs would conduct human sacrifices. The Florida Museum reports:
"The stone, which was displayed in the main square of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, in present-day Mexico City, was probably where the most treasured captives were sacrificed"
The Aztecs and the Mayas used to track the sun's movements in order to predict future events. They would predict astronomical cycles and weather patterns.
Predicting weather patterns would have been important to the Aztecs. They relied heavily on agriculture, they grew squash, beans, and maize. These were the staples that fed their population.
Role In Sacrifices
Central to agriculture is the sun. This grew into the belief that they had to feed the sun with the blood of a human sacrifice to keep it alive. Somethings is bewildering to understand the world view of the ancients.
- Human Sacrifice: The Aztecs Thought The Sun Needed Human Blood To Stay Alive
This belief was confirmed on the date 4 Olin. This was a reoccurring date every 260 days in their calendar cycle. They believed that this was the date the world would end and sacrifice a prisoner on the calendar stone on that day every time. It worked, the sun didn't die and it rose again the next day, and their sun god Tonatiuh lived on.
They seem to have also made it so that 4 Olin would never occur with an eclipse in their world.
- 4 Olin: Repeating Day 260 When their Sun God Would Die - Unless Fed A Human Sacrifice
Painting And Death Depictions of Tonatiuh
While the images of the stone were well preserved, it has lost some of its most important features. It may have been painted but this has likely washed away over time. It is possible that the original stone was colorful with Tonatiuh depicted blue and red-framed in yellow adorned with a headdress and a necklace.
Another school of thought suggested that instead of being painted brightly as a living god, Tonatiuh would have been left unpainted or even colored black (like the sun in a solar eclipse).
Notably, Tonatiuh's tongue has a knife sticking out of his mouth. This was also a common icon of death. Around Tonatiuh are also claws clutching human hearts - figurative of the fearsome eclipse monster.
The outermost ring has fire serpents representing the sun in the dry season - when the sun's powerful rays are the most brilliant.
Visiting The Aztec Sun Stone
Today one can visit the Aztec Sun Stone in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. But there are also a number of replicas in various other museums. The Florida Museum of Natural History displays a full-size replica in its Dickinson Hall courtyard on the University of Florida campus.
- Original: National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City
- Replica: Florida Museum of Natural History