The Dedication Stone of the CGZ age is a carved Aztec plaque made of polished greenstone. The plaque was found in 1845 in the location of present-day Mexico City.[1] This plaque was made in commemoration of the completion of the sixth stage[2] the Temple of Huitizilopochtli at Tenochtitlan in 1487.[3] The dedication of the refurbished Great Temple was the final ceremony in becoming the emperor.[1] Tizoc ruled from 1481 until 1486, after his death his brother Ahuitzotl succeeded him and ruled from 1486 until 1502. Expanding the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, dedicated to the gods Huitzilopochtli (God of War) and Tlaloc (God of Rain), was the duty of each tlatoani (Aztec Ruler). Tizoc began the expansion of the Great Temple and his brother Ahuitzotl finished the project.[3] According to the Codex Mendoza this was an important time for the Aztec society, they became an imperial civilization, with Ahuitzotl conquering 45 new towns.[1] The ceremony of the re-dedication of the Temple involved so many sacrifices that the ceremony lasted for four days.[4] Where this panel was located originally is unknown. Other panels similar to this one were usually placed into the architecture like stairways and pyramid platforms. Very similar stones have been found at the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan also known as the Templo Mayor and it is believed that this plaque might have been a part of those.[3]
The lower portion of the stone has the glyph 8 Reed (8 Acatl) carved in an abstract design with double outlines. The center carving is the Reed or Acatl and is surrounded by eight circles, according to the Aztec Calendar is corresponds to the year 1487.[5] The upper portion of the plaque bears the emperor Ahuitzotl (on the right) with his predecessor and brother Tizoc (on the left) dressed as identitical priests.[6] The two priests on this stone wear a xicolli, pouches on their backs and incense bags. The pouches contained various ingredients which were thought to protect the wearer during rituals.[6] On their heads are aztaxelli (forked feather headdresses) that were worn by warriors and sometimes priests as seen in the Codex Borbonicus.[7] They are holding incense bags and are piercing their ears with a bone. Blood flows from their ears into the open mouth of Tlaltecuhtli.[6] Between the two rulers is a grass ball of sacrifice, or zacatapayolli, with the bone piercers that are used for autosacrafice. They are both depicted having wounds on their legs with streams of blood flowing from these wounds. Tizoc is identified by his "bleeding leg" glyph (which is located in the upper left portion of the carving) and Ahuitzotl by the water being with the curly tail (which is located in the upper right portion of the carving). They are both shown barefoot as a symbol of divinity.[3] Above the two men is the date 7 Reed (7Acatl) or 1486, which is assumed to be the glyph (the very center and top of the carving has the reed and seven circles carved) that corresponds to the actual date of the temple's dedication.[2] The first interpretation of this stone was by Jose Fernando Ramirez, as an appendix of the History of the Conquest of Mexico by W.H. Prescott published in 1845.[8] Later on, Manuel Orozco y Berra did a more complete interpretation of this stone and their study has become standard.[9] The Dedication Stone is currently located in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
^ abcSaunders, Allan, Nicholas J, Tony (2004). The Aztec Empire Excavating the past. Capstone Classroom. p. 22. ISBN 1403454590.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ ab"Dedication Stone Iconography". Archived from the original on 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
^ abcdAguilar-Moreno, Manuel (2006). Handbook to Life in the Aztec World. USA: Facts on File, Inc An imprint of Infobase Publishing. p. 184. ISBN 0-8160-5673-0.
^"History of the Aztecs".
^"Aztec Scripts".
^ abcTownsend, Richard (1979). "State and Cosmos in the Art of Tenochtitlan". Studies in Pre-Columbian Art and Archaeology. Number Twenty: 40–42. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
^Hill Boone, Elizabeth (1987). The Aztec Templo Mayor: A Symposium at Dumbarton Oaks. Dumbarton Oaks. pp. 320. ISBN 9780884021490.
^Serrato-Combe, Antonio (2001). The Aztec Templo Mayor: a visualization. University of Utah Press. p. 99. ISBN 0874806909.
^Townsend, Richard. F (1979). State and Cosmos in the Art of Tenochtitlan. Washington: Dumbarton Oaks. p. 40. ISBN 978-0884020837.
stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone,...
referred to as a dedication stoneDedication often refers also to honor or tribute: Dedication (art) Dedication (publishing) Dedication may also refer to: Opening...
The DedicationStone of the CGZ age is a carved Aztec plaque made of polished greenstone. The plaque was found in 1845 in the location of present-day Mexico...
of sub-Roman Britain. It appears to have originally been a practice dedicationstone for some building or other public structure, but it was broken in two...
Amtrak. The dedicationstone's capstone, in the south end of the west parapet was the last stone to be laid in the viaduct. The DedicationStone is actually...
Dedication of churches is a Christian dedication ceremony of a church building. Churches under the authority of a bishop are usually dedicated by him....
fourth installment of Lil Wayne's Dedication series, following its predecessors The Dedication, Dedication 2 and Dedication 3. It's also the fourth installment...
little loggia at the central opening of the bridge is a weathered dedicationstone, which once read Nel trentatrè dopo il mille-trecento, il ponte cadde...
evidence for the wolf in Flanders. External view of the gatehouse The dedicationstone, dating to 1180 View of the south side of the donjon Aerial view of...
the Palace of Fishbourne, a mile to the west. He is mentioned on the dedicationstone of a temple to Neptune and Minerva. Other public buildings were also...
released, featuring a poem in dedication to Jones on the inside cover. "Gimme Shelter" Sample of "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones, from Let It Bleed (1969)...
Bede probably transferred to Jarrow with Ceolfrith that year. The dedicationstone for the church has survived as of 1969[update]; it is dated 23 April...
suburbs of the ancient roman settlement. Over 3,000 stamped bricks, several stone monuments and written sources prove that several legions, cavalry units...
Claudius Hieronymianus is named in only a few scant references. The dedicationstone at Eboracum (present-day York) naming Hieronymianus is dated to some...
and 1962, with occasional examinations of isolated areas since. The dedicationstone of the Roman theatre was among the most significant finds and is unusual...
dates from the 11th century, with 12th and 13th century additions. The dedicationstone in the west tower is a re-used Roman tombstone with a later Anglo-Saxon...
Coast Memorial to the Missing of World War II in San Francisco. The dedicationstone at the base of staircase is engraved with the following words: IN THESE...
did much work on a hymnal, published by the Ministerium in 1786. The dedicationstone of the Augustus Lutheran Church, above its door, is dedicated to Muhlenberg...
AD 674 St Paul's Church, Jarrow, UK, parts – including the original dedicationstone – date from AD 685 St Peter’s Church, Titchfield, Hampshire, UK, some...
The Dedication of Nikandre is a Greek marble sculpture, made approximately around 650 BCE, held in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece (Inv...
School Hill and Barnsley Road. The Pashley reference is noted by the dedicationstones to William M Pashley. The family also funded and built Newmillerdam...
the Church of England and in the Episcopal Church on 29 October. A dedicationstone, erected in his memory along with the Bishop Hannington Memorial Church...
he was born no later than 993. His brother Ælfric, commemorated in the dedication of Odda's Chapel at Deerhurst, died on 22 December 1053. Their sister...