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Secondary sourcePhotograph2015-07-14

Stone of the Sun at the National Anthropology Museum

Deror_avi · 2015-07-14

A photograph of a replica of the Aztec Sun Stone, a monument linked to the coronation of Moctezuma II.

A monument associated with Moctezuma II's coronation, photographed in its museum display.

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A large circular painted replica of the Aztec Sun Stone, in red, yellow, and grey, with a central carved stone face with protruding tongue surrounded by ornate square panels and stylized sun rays. Placed against a plain pale wall.
Deror avi, Stone of the Sun (replica), National Anthropology Museum, Mexico City, 2015.

About this source

What it is

A 2015 photograph showing a large circular replica of the Aztec Sun Stone, displayed at the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City. The stone has a carved central face surrounded by ornate panels and sun-ray patterns.

Why it matters

The original Sun Stone is connected to the coronation of Moctezuma II and is one of the most famous surviving Aztec monuments. It shows the skill of Mexica stonework and the importance of calendar and cosmological symbolism to the rulers of Tenochtitlan.

Look closer

  • What might the carved symbols around the edge represent?
  • Why do museums display replicas alongside or instead of originals?
  • What does this object suggest about how the Aztecs understood time?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Montezuma II on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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