The Spaniards buried the stone and it was lost for over 250 years until by accident was recovered in 1790. Afterwards, it set in the western tower of the Cathedral until 1885 when it was removed to the National Museum of Anthropology were it remains today. The study of the Aztec calendar is not a direct reflection of the calender year for Aztec. It was mistakenly identified as a calendar. The massive carving had greater significance to the people than a calendar.
Some scholars interpret the carvings as a depictions of the Aztec cosmos.
The symbols were to have something to do with the Aztec people's continuance on earth with their ability to act on the demands of their gods. There is still debate over the interpretation of the Sun Stone's complex symbolism. Some think that the stone was unfinished because the back was cracked which priests would find intolerable as an imperfection. Some think that it may have been used as a sun dial because on the very edge there are eight noticeable equidistant holes in which may have been placed horizontal sticks, that project their shadows on the figures. The detail and intricacy of the carvings show the Aztecs accomplishments in art and mathematics and their ability to carve stone.