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Secondary sourcePhotograph1914

The Calendar Stone

C. B. Waite · 1914

An early 20th-century photograph of the Mexica calendar stone, a massive carved disc from Moctezuma's era.

This stone comes from the Mexica civilization during Moctezuma's era, giving context to his cultural world.

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Black and white photograph of the Aztec calendar stone, a large circular carved stone disc with a central face surrounded by concentric rings of carved glyphs and sun-ray motifs. Photo credit C. B. Waite and caption Mexico Museum appear below.
C. B. Waite, The Calendar Stone, photograph, 1914. Mexico Museum.

About this source

What it is

This is a black-and-white photograph taken in 1914 of the Mexica calendar stone, a large circular carved disc with a central face surrounded by rings of glyphs and sun-ray motifs, photographed in a museum in Mexico.

Why it matters

The calendar stone dates from the period of Aztec civilization under rulers like Moctezuma, and reflects the astronomical and religious knowledge of Mexica society. It is one of the best-known surviving objects from this civilization's culture.

Look closer

  • What might the carved symbols and rings have meant to the people who made this stone?
  • Why do you think this object survived while much else from the period was destroyed?
  • How does a photograph from 1914 differ from seeing the object itself today?

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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