The Sun Stone
Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History
Los Angeles, Calif.
The Sun Stone or Calendar Stone
The Sun Stone or Calendar Stone of the Aztecs is carved from an olivine basalt. The original weighs twenty-four tons and is three feet thick. The replica has the same overall dimensions as the original. Various interpretations have been made of the Sun Stone's many carved symbols, but its exact purpose is in doubt. It may have served as a record of cosmic or mythological events, religious ideas, and calendric knowledge. Traces of coloring on the original, indicate that it had the appearance as shown on this card.
