Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-09-03
THE AZTEC CALENDAR.
A STONE TABLET WEIGHING
53.7eo POUNDS.
A Method OF Keeping Time More Aeou-
rate Than That OF tho spaniards--
Tho Astronomical Knowl-
edge OF tho Axtec.

One OF the many curious things to
be seen In tho collection OF historical
curiositics ut the National Museum at
the City of Mexico is the Aztec Calen-
dar. While here formed tho ac-
quaintance of w. w. Blake who is
considered one OF tho best authorities
In Aztec lore In tho City of Mexico,
says n writer to the Boots and Shoes
Weekly and he thus described II to
me:
Its face Is carved. the stone being IL
feet in diameter. about 3 feet In think
ness and weighs 50, 100 pounds avoir-
dupois. II was carved In the year
li79 A. ID. by tho Aztecs at Tenantitlnn
and brought to the ancient Tenoch-
titan, tho site OF the present City OF
Mexico.
AZ the coming OF Cortes, tho Aztec
priests ordered this rock and many OF
the largo idols and other objects OF
worship secreted, TO hide them from
tho destructive Spaniard. On tho 27th
OF December 1890, In lowering the
grade Of tho ancient pavement OF tho
Plaza Mayor In front OF the cathedral,
In order to make II level with the
street, this notable stone was uncov-
cred Tho commissioners building
tho cathedral secured Its possession
and built Il into the base of the south
western tower of the cathedral. wher,
IL remained exposed to public view
until n few years ago when IL was re-
moved 10 tho National Museum. Al.
though IL Is known rs the Aztec Cal.
cndar. Its proper name Is tho Zodiac.
The face In the center or within the
first circle, represents tho sun, the
protruding tongue signifying speak
ing TO the people" Within the second
circle are -four pnrallclograms donot-
ing that the sun had died four times,
In order 10 understand the remaining
circles IL Is necessary to know that the
Aztec year was divided tuto eighteen
months OF twenty days each The
third circle, counting from the centre,
contains the representative signs oi
the twenty days OF the month, begin
ming at the point just above the npeN
OF tho triangle over tho figure repre-.
sontng the sun. From this point aud
reading TO the left, tho names of the
days Of the month are represented ~
follows:
First, sea animal; second, wind;
third, house; fourth. lizard; fifth, SCRIP
cnt; sixth. death; seventh, deer
eighth, rabbit; ninth, water; tenth,
dog; eleventh monkey; twelfth, grass
thirteenth, reed; fourteenth, ocolot
fifteenth, eagle; sixteenth, small bird;
seventeenth, path Of the sun; cigh.
tcenth. flint; nineteenth, rain; twenti-
eth, flowers.
In the centre of each period of five
days stand tho symbols house. rabbit,
reed, flint, indicating the four week.
of the month and nj the same time
representing the Tour cardinal points
Of the compass.
The remaining circles are devoted
to the 800 days Of the year. the season
and other matter that would require
too lengthy n description.
There Is one very curious thing
about this stone, however that |,
worthy of mention. and that Is eight
holes. Gnomons or dial pins were In
serted in these holes, aud the shadows
Of the pins ~ they fell on different
points of the Zodiac recorded not only
the hour Of the day, but showed ac'
curatcly tho following dates; Vorna
equinox, March % summer solstice
June %; transits of tho sun by tn,
zenith, Mny - and July 20; aud tn,
autumnal equinox, I'D OF September
One OF the most interesting evi
dcnces OF tho Astronomical knowledg,
Of the A1tecs il their differentiation oI
i've days in the calendar ut tho clos,
OF each year. As the year Is composed
Of nearly six hours more than 36i
days there still remained an excess
which they adjusted by interposinl
twenty-five days In 1914 years. Thli
shows n nicer adjustment OF civil Il
solar time than is presented even by
The Grcgorian calendar, since NOR,
than %, 900 years would have I,
clapse before the loss Of an entire day
Prescott says that when the Europeans
who adopted the Julian calendar
landed In Mexico, their reckoning wa
nearly eleven days In advance Of thu
exact time--or In other words, OF thu
reckoning Of the barbarous Aztecs; ,
n suggestive fact.