Analyzing the Meaning of the Aztec Sun Stone

Analyzing the Meaning of the Aztec Sun Stone
The Aztec Sun Stone sculpture may be described as a late post-classic Mexican piece of art currently available in the Mexican National Anthropology Museum. Early interpretations suggested that the sculpture was used for chronology, astrology, or as a sundial. Antonio de Leóny Gama revealed that some of the glyphs on the sculpture represented days of a month (Mills et al., 2002). However, it was revealed that Gama’s interpretation was inaccurate as it assumed that the sculpture was in a vertical position. Scholars have also revealed that the Mexican belief that the world passed through four suns informed the design of the four emblems observed in the Ollin glyph (Townsend, 1997). Moreover, the sculpture is believed to have religious importance, where it is argued that the central face on the stone symbolizes Tonatiuh, an Aztec deity (Mills et al., 2002). This deity was also considered the sun god and influenced archeologists to name the sculpture the Sun Stone. . Lastly, the stone could also have a political meaning since some scholars believe it depicted Tenochtitlan as the most crucial aspect of this world and associated it with authority (Milbrath, 2017). This paper will support the argument that the stone mainly served as a ceremonial object and did not have any function as an astronomical or astrological tool.
Description of theAztec Sun Stone
The Aztec Sun Stone is a piece of art made from big basalt rock, and some people call it the Stone of the Five Eras(Mills et al., 2002). It perfectly represents Aztec folklore and is arguably the most famous archaeological object from the Aztec culture. The sculpture has an almost perfect circular shape with a diameter of about 12 ft., a weight of 24.5 tons, and a thickness of 3 ft. (Mills et al., 2002). While the Aztec Sun Stone is also called the Calendar stone, it is not considered an actual calendar, and the name refers to its symbolic importance as a depiction of time. There has yet to be a consensus regarding the date the sculpture was produced because relative dating does not provide a specific date for an artifact. However, most archaeologists date it between the late 15th century and the early 16th century (Mills et al., 2002). After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the ancient capital was left in ruins. Therefore, the sculpture was buried, and the Spanish built a new colonial city from scratch because they wanted to end human sacrifice practices common in the Aztec cults. The Aztec Sun Stone stayed under the Zócalo (Mexico’s main square) until 1790 and was accidentally recovered during the city Cathedral’s repairs.

Figure 1
The Aztec Sun Stone

(Spray, 2022)
Culture
The sculpture is associated with the Aztecs, who were part of the Mesoamerican culture that thrived in central Mexico in the Post-classic period between 1300 and 1521 (Mineo, 2018).Aztec was a powerful state whose strong influence was attributed to its tribute system, religion, and military power. The Aztec culture involved maize farming, social segregation separating nobility from commoners, and a calendric system incorporating Xiuhpohualli and tonalpohualli(Townsend, 1997). These people devised their calendar comprising 18 months of twenty days each.Therefore, it is believed that one of the circular bands on the sculpture represented the twenty days of a month and that the central motifs depicted the Aztec’s idea of five chronological ages (Mills et al., 2002). The Aztec religion was mainly polytheistic, where there were male and female gods. Tonatiuh represented the sun god, and there were numerous deities revered in monthly festivals involving human sacrifices (Mills et al., 2002). Hence, the object was named the Sun Stone based on the assumption that it represented the face or the mask of the Sun god. It is worth noting that the Aztecs worshipped the sun as a source of life and believed that Tonatiuh was the superior god (Forbes, 2020). Even though he provided sustenance and warmth, Tonatiuh also demanded human blood.The Aztecs practiced terrifying rituals of human sacrifice in numerous horrifying ways, often involving the removal of a still beating heart. It is estimated that hundreds of people would have died through human sacrifice in 260 days (Forbes, 2020). The victims would be led into believing that being sacrificed won them a place besides gods in the next life, although this seems to have been a way of consoling the individuals. The significance of religious human sacrifice in the Aztec culture suggests that the sculpture had some ceremonial or symbolic purpose.
Interpretation
The first interpretation of the Aztec Sun Stone highlighted how the sculpture depicted chronology and astrology and how it served as a sundial. Antonio de León y Gama named the sculpture the Aztec Calendar because he identified several glyphs on the stone that seemed to represent 20 days of a month (Mills et al., 2002). Therefore, the initial analysis of the Aztec Sun Stone did not focus much on the object’s importance in rituals and mainly highlighted the object’s importance as a time depicter. Further analysis revealed that the four symbols incorporated in the sculpture’s Olin glyph represented the four suns, which the earth passed through according to the Aztec culture (Townsend, 1997).The author also argued that the central face represented an earth monster instead of a sun god and that the face’s prominent tongue alluded to a flint knife meant to symbolize war. Therefore, while Townsend (1997) supported the initial interpretation of the artifact connecting it to calendric importance, he differed on the matter of its religious significance. The earth monster was believed to be a gaping toothy mouth at the center of the earth that consumed blood from human sacrifice. While it is not clear whether the middle figure represented a sun god or an earth monster, the image is generally considered an expression of sacredness (Mills et al., 2002). Another key observation is that the sculpture may have had geographical importance. It is suggested that the four points could have represented the four cardinal points or corners of the earth (Mills et al., 2002). However, this school of thought lacks adequate evidence compared to other perspectives, and only a few studies have explored the geographic importance of the Aztec Sun Stone. Lastly, the sculpture could also have political significance. It may have been used to depict Tenochtitlan as the center of the earth as well as the center of authority (Townsend, 1997). Furthermore, Montezuma the Second’s name on the sculpture supports Townsend’s claim. Therefore, these attributes ground the artwork’s iconography in history rather than the myth and legitimacy of Aztec in the cosmos.
Discussion
Available evidence suggests that the stone mainly served as a ceremonial object and did not have any function as an astronomical or astrological tool. The interpretation linking the object to ritualistic importance seems stronger because the Aztec people relied heavily on religion and violence to ensure the efficiency and efficacy of the state as a regional leader. The Aztec rule was primarily based on the story of Mexica history, where the Aztecs were migrants to the Mexican territory (Smith, 2003). The lived history was characterized by the conquest of native groups and violence, and the Aztec’s mythic history was used to legitimize the state’s violent leadership approaches and the establishment of the capital Tenochtitlan. As the Aztecs became increasingly powerful, the administration had to devise ways of maintaining order and control over conquered natives, and religion and violence were used to achieve their objectives (Smith, 2003). Aztec religion comprised a huge canon of deities involved in the continuous cycles of death and rebirth. It was believed that the gods sacrificed themselves to make the sun and ensure the cycles of the sun never stopped to guarantee life on earth. Since the gods sacrificed themselves for mankind, people understood that they were expected to reciprocate the favor by sacrificing themselves to the gods in return.Moreover, the sculpture’s discovery close to the Templo Mayor in the capital links it to sacred rituals like the New Fire ceremony, which Aztecs undertook to facilitate survival on earth for another 52-year cycle, and cosmic cycles were preserved through the sacrifice of the human heart (Smith, 2003). Therefore, it is logical to associate the object with religion because the Aztec state capitalized on this aspect to mystify and cement its dominance over conquered states.
The argument that human sacrifice was also a military tactic to instill fear among Aztec enemies to remind the conquered natives of what could happen if they went against the rules seems logical. The state might have exploited the sacredness of the ritual to serve its ideological intentions. Therefore, the sculpture was a visual reminder of Aztec’s strength as a monumental art piece in the heart of the city and a ceremonial object used in regard to terrestrial power struggles and cosmic cycles.
While arguments linking the Aztec Sun Stone to geographical and astronomical importance seem sensible, there is a need for further investigation because the current findings are not adequate to substantiate the claim.
Conclusion
The Aztec Sun Stone was most likely a ceremonial object that may have never been used in geography and astronomy. This paper demonstrates how myths and mystery helped the Aztec state to maintain its dominance as these aspects helped the leaders to solidify their power and dominance over conquered natives. Interestingly, this strategy has been effective as the Aztec civilization stands out as one of the most impactful revaluations in the history of humankind. Future research should explore the geographical and astronomical importance of the Aztec Sun Stone to determine whether the sculpture had other importance beyond its religious and ceremonial significance.

References
Forbes, M. (2020, April 16). Aztec Calendar: It is more than what we know. TheCollector. https://www.thecollector.com/aztec-calendar/
Mills, K., Taylor, W., & Graham, S. (Eds.). (2002). The Aztec Stone of five eras. In Colonial Latin America: A documentary history (pp. 23–27). SR Books.
Mineo, L. (2018, April 9). Unearthing the secrets of the Aztecs. Harvard Gazette; Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/unearthing-the-secrets-of-the-aztecs/
Smith, M. (2003). The Aztecs. Wiley-Blackwell.
Spray, A. (2022, January 23). Here’s What We Know About The Ancient Aztec Sun Stone. TheTravel. https://www.thetravel.com/visiting-aztec-sun-stone-sculpture-in-mexico/
Townsend, R. F. (1997). State and cosmos in the art of Tenochtitlan. Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University.