Tlaltecuhtli Monolith
Dublin Core
Title
Tlaltecuhtli Monolith
Subject
Tlaltecuhtli, Earth Deity, pictured here on one slab of andesite stone, with typical iconographical features such as mouths at his joints, dual gender representation, and most importantly terrestrial symbolism.
Description
Recovered Aztec monolith depicting Tlaltecuhtli. As usual he's shown as confined and upset, in keeping with his celestial narrative. Torn in two by rivals, one half of his body is fated to be the source of vitality for the earth and the other for the heavens. Due to his integral influence on their survival, the Aztecs would frequently sacrifice victims on his behalf as means of placation.
Creator
N/A
Source
[no text]
Publisher
Museo Del Templo Mayor
Date
Early 16th Century
Contributor
Eduardo Matos Moctezuma
Rights
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia
Relation
Earth deity, human sacrifice, gender duality, and monoliths
*refer to related Templo Mayor works*
*refer to related Templo Mayor works*
Format
Andesite monolith, 4.19 x 3.62 meters (Height x Width)
Type
12 ton stone monolith
Identifier
Tlaltecuhtli Monolith
Coverage
This piece commissioned during the reign of Ahuizotl, as a physical representation of one of their Earth Gods. Specifically, it was stylized to communicate the Earthly confines of the deity and the sacrificial implications.
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Stone Monolith
Geolocation
Citation
N/A, “Tlaltecuhtli Monolith,” Tenochtitlan, accessed January 22, 2021, http://tenochtitlan.ace.fordham.edu/items/show/106.