History Of The Carved Basalt Monolith Commonly Known As The Aztec Sun Stone

 photograph taken by the Frenchman Alfred Briquet in 1889 

The carved basalt monolith commonly known as the Aztec Sun Stone, created by Mexica artisans during the late 15th century, was excavated from the zócalo, the main square of Mexico City, on December 17, 1790. Weighing 24 tons and measuring 12 feet in diameter, it is currently housed in Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology. The stone, often erroneously referred to as the “Mayan Calendar”, features the visage of the sun god Tonatiuh at its center, and was initially displayed on the side of Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral for several decades before being moved indoors.