In celebration of the 700th anniversary of the foundation of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, enormous replicas of some of the most famous Aztec sculptures are being erected on the Zócalo. On Wednesday, after attending the concert at the Teatro de la Ciudad, I walked over to the plaza to how the work was progressing.
This is a replica of the carving of Coyozauhqui, the Aztec goddess of the moon.
The original, a round stone with a diameter of 10.5 feet, was discovered in 1978 when utility workers were digging under a street in the heart of the city's Historic Center. Its discovery led to further excavations which uncovered the base of the "Templo Mayor", the main Aztec temple. The stone is now in the Templo Mayor Museum next to the excavation site.
Here is a replica of the monolith of Tlaltecuhtli, the Aztec earth goddess.
The original, which measures 12 by 13 feet and weighs almost 12 tons, is the largest Aztec monolith yet discovered. It was uncovered in 2006 near the "Templo Mayor" and is also on display in the museum/
The goddess Coatlicue was the mother of the moon, the stars, and the main Aztec god, Huitzilopochtli. Her head, which is in the form of two serpents, still has to be lifted into place.
The original statue is over eight feet tall. It was discovered in 1790 when sewers were being dug on the Zócalo. It is thought that the Aztecs had buried the statue to hide it from the conquering Spaniards. Today it stands in the National Museum of Anthropology.
Workers still putting together a replica of what is the most famous Aztec carving, the Sun Stone (often referred to erroneously as the Aztec Calendar Stone).
The original is twelve feet in diameter. It was also discovered in 1790, and until 1885 it was displayed on the wall of the Cathedral of Mexico City. In the center of the round stone is a carving of the sun god Tonatiuh. The rings around the god symbolize Aztec cosmogony. Today it is the centerpiece of the Mexica Hall of the National Museum of Anthropology.
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