Tizoc Stone
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| Material | Made of basalt |
|---|---|
| Created | 1480s |
| Discovered | 17 December 1791 |
| Present location | National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City |
The Stone of Tizoc, Tizoc Stone or Sacrificial Stone is a large, round, carved Aztec stone. It is thought to have been a Cuauhxicalli, in which the hearts of victims of sacrifice were placed. Richard Townsend maintains, however, that the stone was hollowed in the 16th century for unknown purposes.
The stone was rediscovered on 17 December 1791 when construction was being done in downtown Mexico City. The workmen had been breaking up monuments that were found and using them as cobblestone. A churchman named Gamboa happened to be passing by and saved the stone from the same result. The stone was then moved to the cemetery of the nearby Cathedral where it stayed until 1824, when it was moved to the University. The stone is currently in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
The monolith is made of basalt and measures 0.88 meters deep by 2.67 meters wide.
The stone depicts Tezcatlipoca, a major Aztec god, holding the patron gods of other places by the hair. Aztec glyphs give the name of the original site, which may have already been conquered, or was considered divinely ordained to be conquered. The toponyms are written in a mixture of logographic and syllabic signs. One of the figures, however, is identified as Tizoc, the Aztec Emperor from 1481 to 1486, who is dressed in the costume of the god Huitzilopochtli (wearing a hummingbird headdress characteristic of that deity) and named with his name glyph. This has led to the stone's association with Tizoc. The stone also depicts the stars at the top rim, emphasizing the heavens; triangular points at the bottom edge represent the earth. On the top side of the stone, there is an elaborately carved sun dial with eight triangular rays, representing the cardinal directions. The warriors carved into the stone are holding the hair of their enemies gods, a gesture which represented submission and defeat in the Aztec culture.
Additionally, the relief may function as a symbolic manifestation of a ritual act. In relation to Mexica tradition, those conquered were expected to send sacrificial offerings to the victor, Tizoc. Here, then, Townsend sees the stone as acknowledgement of such a transaction.
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