The Coyolxauhqui monolith was found at the base of the steps of the Great Temple in the early morning of February 21, 1978, while workers from the Central Light and Power Company were excavating for underground wiring.
Its discovery clarified experts’ doubts about the exact location of Tenochtitlan’s Great Temple.
The sculpture, more than three meters in diameter and weighing eight tons, displays the dismembered body of the lunar deity, with her head, arms, and legs separated from her torso.
According to mythology, Coyolxauhqui attempted to plot to kill her brother; however, he murdered her by decapitating her and throwing her dismembered body from the top of Coatepec Hill. With this crime, the age of splendor of Huitzilopochtli, the greatest of the Aztec gods, began.
Sun Stone (or Aztec Calendar)
It is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable figures in Mexican history, as it even appears on our coins.
On December 17, 1790, while work was being carried out in the Plaza Mayor (or Zócalo), this impressive monolith weighing approximately 24 tons was discovered. Due to its upside-down position, it is thought that its original location was not its original site.
The enormous carved disc symbolizes the Aztecs’ concept of time, and their iconography also represents the myth of the five suns.
Since 1964, it has held an important place in the Aztec Room of the National Museum of Anthropology and has also generated numerous studies.
Tlaltecuhtli Monolith
On the morning of October 2, 2006, this colossal monolith was found on the property known as Casa de las Ajaracas, which now houses the Museum and Archive of Photography (MAF).
It is the largest monolith found so far in Mexico City, surpassing the Sun Stone and the Coyolxauhqui Monolith. It is a 12-ton piece of volcanic stone.
Tlatecuhtli is a dual deity; that is, she is represented in both her male and female versions. The latter is the one placed on the monolith. She also has another duality in that she embodies life and death, being the goddess of the earth itself (where life is born and all life cycles end).
Teocalli of the Sacred War
The Teocalli of the Sacred War is one of the most outstanding sculptural pieces of Mexica culture that has survived to this day.
The monolith gets its name because it is shaped like a large-scale temple. It represents the founding myth of Tenochtitlan and also reaffirms Mexica power (especially that of Moctezuma Xocoyotzin).
This sculpture was discovered in late July 1926 in the foundations of the National Palace, during reconstruction work on the building.
You may be interested in: “Someday they will return to the ocean”: the slow destruction of the moai on Easter Island
Statue of Coatlicue
The last of the monumental replicas of the Zócalo is this sculpture of Coatlicue, which was found on August 13, 1790, in front of the National Palace, during the excavation of a water pipeline.
It measures 2.52 meters in height and was carved from andesite. It is currently considered one of the most extraordinary and best-preserved examples of Aztec art.
Coatlicue is a central goddess in Aztec cosmology and mother of the patron god, Huitzilopochtli. The sculpture depicts the goddess adorned with a necklace of hearts and human hands, partially covering her breasts, with a skull in the center.
Until when can you see the replicas in the Zócalo?
Both the video mapping show and the monumental sculptures will be on the Zócalo square until next Sunday, July 27th.
Keep in mind that the sculptures are up all day, every day. So you can take advantage of any moment to stop by, admire them, and take lots of photos.
However, the light and sound show only takes place in the evenings, with two performances at 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM. There’s no cost, but be sure to arrive early and dress well, as the rains don’t stop.
Source: animalpolitico
