Temalacatl (sacrificial stone),

1300–1521

The carving style used on this drum-shaped sculpture—featuring dense detail, a strong sense of mass and weight, and a complex collection of pictographic elements—was reserved for the most important imperial Aztec monuments. In the center of the top, an X-shaped motif indicates a specific day, called Ollin (Earthquake), and the four dots surrounding it are meant to be read in tandem; collectively, these elements refer both to a specific and important day called Nahui Ollin (Four Earthquake) and to the name of the current age more generally. On this day, it was believed, the fifth and current age of the world would end in a catastrophic earthquake.

Surrounding the Nahui Ollin glyphs is a sun, with rays and symbols of preciousness. The sides of the monument provide the sun’s opposite: circles near the top may represent stars, while the lower part features Venus elements and flint blades with toothy faces. According to Aztec thought, each night the sun traveled through the dangerous underworld and would rise again only if the earth were fed. Humans were sacrificed on stones of this type—likely including this example—to provide their hearts and blood as nourishment for the hungry earth and thus keep Nahui Ollin from coming to a close.