The Aztec
“Sun Stone”
It was the beginning
of the end…the year 1521 AD…Cortes and his band of Spanish Conquestadores were
passing judgement on their captives the Mexicas (Aztecs) on the very soil where
these indigenous peoples had once walked in harmony with nature. The natives of
this glorious land were to become no more than a passing flicker in time and
memory.
Over two hundred and fifty years had passed since this
unfortunate historical event. Then, without warning, the torch of ancient Aztec
history rekindled the long forgotten pride once bestowed within the hearts and
souls of these courageous Mexican warriors.
Perhaps by fate or design, whatever the cause, it was
during the renovation of Mexico City’s central plaza in 1790 that the most
exciting addition to this country’s historical past was uncovered…the Aztec
“Sun Stone”.
Neither photographs nor drawings can do justice to the
marvel in craftsmanship required to produce this single piece of carved basalt
stone. Measuring 3.6 meters (12 feet) in diameter, this single stone weighs an
estimated 24 tonnes (Ill.1).
Illustration 1. The
Aztec “Sun Stone” was discovered in 1790,
measuring 3.6 meters in diameter and weighing an estimated 24 tonnes.
An additional two hundred years have passed and
various theories for the unique design are abundant. They are put forward in an
attempt to uncover the reasons for the mysterious intertwining geometric
markings dispersed throughout the stone.
The most evident symbol is the face within the centre
circle; it representing the Sun (Tonatiuh), but it is the balance of
these markings that have stumped the finest of archaeologists.
Supported by other written ancient documents, the
inner circle of twenty small glyphs have been successfully decoded and
represent the twenty days to the month, having thirteen months to a complete
cycle; this was their “almanac year” of 260 days. The second counting
system was the “solar year”, totalling 365 days and consisting of
eighteen (18) months each having four weeks of five days (20 days) per
month…this totalled 360 days. By adding five extra days, known as the nemontemi
(empty days), it brought the total count to 365 days…this is what we are taught
!!!
Although it may appear irrelevant to the Giza pyramid
complex, the “Sun Stone” will be one of several astronomical measuring systems
chosen to guide us toward a similar design used by the ancient Egyptian pyramid
builders.
The first step is to create a basic geometric
duplication of the stone from the photograph above (Ill. 2).
Illustration 2. The
basic geometric design of the “Sun Stone”.
Note the Sun’s face drawn in the centre, having two
inner rings “earrings” representing circular objects on opposite sides of the
Sun’s face. Four oddly positioned rectangles are also attached to the side of
the face; two above and two below the “earrings”. When combining these objects
we can notice the similarity between them and the Aztec glyph Xihuitl
representing the solar year (Ill. 3). The similarity in formation could be a
construed as the inner portion of the stone’s design representing the solar
calendar of 365 days…as expressed by archaeologists.
Illustration 3. The
glyph Xihuitl representing the solar year, most similar to the centre
design of the “Sun Stone”
Given the centre face as the first indication to a
solar reference, coupled with the eight lines required to produce the glyph Xihuitl,
and the eight triangular points surrounding the outer ring of the stone, should
be most obvious to astronomers. These points indicate the ancient’s full
knowledge of planet motion around the Sun when using Earth’s annual measure of
time!
Venus and Earth share an intriguing orbital feature…Venus
travels (1 + 5/8) of its orbit for every orbit of Earth and this sets the stage
for an astronomical and geometrical feature between both planets…These two
planets will realign with each other every eight Earth years…IN THE SAME
ORBITAL LOCATION WHERE THEY STARTED FROM ! Venus and Earth are the only two
planets in our solar system having a realignment ratio equally divisible into a
360-degree circle, and the ancient Aztecs were fully aware of this astronomical
fact. To prove it, we simply compare the basic geometric design from
illustration 2 to the orbital alignment locations for Venus and Earth as
illustrated below (Ill. 4).
Illustration 4. Travelling in a counter clockwise
direction, the eight locations for Venus are shown for each complete and
successive orbit of Earth around the Sun.
Starting the cycle with Earth and Venus aligning with
the Sun at position #1 (12 o’clock); Earth orbits the Sun once while Venus
completes its first orbit and continues to position #2. The second full orbit
of Earth will place Venus in position #3…continuing the count for eight Earth
years. The end of the eight year cycle brings both planets back to the original
start position. From the orbital diagram, we can now realize why the Sun Stone
has two triangles pointing toward the twelve o’clock position; one represents
the location of Earth and the other for Venus at their start location.
There are two simple but important mathematical
relationships between both planets that should be remembered.
1) Venus travels thirteen “parts” of its orbit for
every eight “parts” of orbit that Earth completes (13/8, or 1.625:1 ratio).
2) Earth and Venus aligned in the same orbital
location every 8 Earth years.
There is one other significant feature that the
designer(s) wanted to express and it is demonstrated by the two “earrings” and
the four rectangular forms surrounding the face.
In four complete orbits of Earth, Venus will travel
six complete orbits around the Sun then continue to a point exactly 180 degrees
in orbit from the start position. The four rectangles surrounding the face
represent four Earth years, and the two “earrings” represent the two locations
for Venus set 180 degrees from each other.
The “solar year” count within the Mayan calendar
system totals 365 days, and this confirms that the designer(s) knew the orbital
ratios for Venus and Earth.
We may have actually assumed in the wrong direction…
Eight counts of 365 Earth days is equal to thirteen
complete orbits of Venus, and Venus orbits the sun in 224.7 Earth days. Working
in the reverse direction…if the calendar was set by comparing the orbital
period of Venus to that of Earth then this measure would calculates to 224.62
Earth days for one complete orbit of Venus, a 0.08 day error per orbit of
Venus.
The ancients knew the number of days to the Earth year
most accurately, but elected to use the full day count to register the location
of the planet Venus. However, there was one additional planet to be
considered…our outer neighbour Mars !!
Recalling the second counting system…the “almanac
year”; it is based on a 260 Earth day cycle and it is this count that ties
both Earth and Mars together in their respective orbits.
Mars orbits the sun in 686.98 Earth days, compared to
365.256 days for Earth. The time required between two consecutive alignments of
two planets is termed the synodic period. To calculate this value requires
simple mathematics, and for Earth and Mars the total time is 780 Earth days. It
is at this point where we stop and investigate another simple mathematical
situation….3x260 days = 780 days.
…780 Earth days equals three complete “almanac years”
!!
To illustrate, we set Earth and Mars at the 12 o’clock
location (Ill. 5, position #1). Rotating counter clockwise for 260 Earth days,
Earth and Mars will travel to a location in orbit where they are 120 degrees
apart from each other (Ill. 5, position #2). The second count of 260 Earth days
(Ill. 5, position #3) shows Earth having completed one orbit and leading Mars
by an additional 120 degrees, totalling 240 degrees in orbit. After the third
count of 260 Earth days, both planets realigning at a point 48.71 degrees from
the start position (Ill. 5, position #4).
Illustration 5. The
orbital locations for Earth and Mars at the end of each “almanac year”
of 260 days. Three “almanac years” equals one synodic period for Earth
and Mars.
The three counts of 260 days indicates to us that the ancients
understood the orbital alignment of Earth and Mars. To confirm, they designed
another geometrical feature within the stone.
From illustration 5, we can continue to plot the
sequential orbital locations where Earth and Mars will align until the 360
degree circle is complete (Ill. 6.)
Illustration 6. The alignment locations for the planets Mars
and Earth, starting from the 12 o’clock position.
Compared to the Venus/Earth pattern, it is noticed how
the last alignment location (position #8) falls short of the complete 360
degree circle. However, there is the common element of eight locations within
the 360 degree circle and it is this pattern that the designer(s) emphasized.
By rotating the start point to geometrically “balance” the pattern we have a
different view of the alignment locations (Ill. 7).
Illustration 7. The
eight locations where Mars and Earth align are “balanced” geometrically.
From
illustration 3, the glyph Xihuitl is reintroduced and compared to the “balanced” pattern of the
eight locations where Earth and Mars align (Ill. 8).
Illustration 8. The
glyph Xihuitl, assumed to symbolize the solar year, is superimposed over
the eight alignment locations for Earth and Mars
Xihuitl is the symbol for the solar year and
drawn geometrically identical to the eight alignment locations for Earth and
Mars. Were archaeologists lead astray with the concept of this glyph
representing a solar year? Is it possible that it represents a synodic year of
780 days, this being equivalent to three almanac years, or the interval
between each realignment of Earth and Mars in the heavens?
The Sun Stone contains two simplified Earth calendar
systems, each relating directly to the planets Venus and Mars. Included within
the design are the orbital characteristics of these same three planets. What
must be acknowledged is the simple fact that the ancient Aztecs were most
knowledgeable of planet motion. It is unknown how or when the Aztecs may have
gained such knowledge, however it is most obvious they understood and
comprehended the central solar disc (Sun) and visualize the basic mathematical
relationship between the orbital paths for our two neighbouring planets: Venus
and Mars when compared to Earth.
The Aztec “Sun
Stone” is….astronomy carved in stone !!
___