science

Stone of Tizoc

Stone of Tizoc is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Stone of Tizoc rather than just read about it. In short: The Stone of Tizoc, Tizoc Stone or Sacrificial Stone is a large, round, carved Aztec stone. Because of a shallow, round depression carved in the center of the top surface, it may have been a cuauhxicalli or possibly a temalacatl.

Key takeaways

Stone of Tizoc belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Stone of Tizoc to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Stone of Tizoc from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Stone of Tizoc, Tizoc Stone or Sacrificial Stone is a large, round, carved Aztec stone. Because of a shallow, round depression carved in the center of the top surface, it may have been a cuauhxicalli or possibly a temalacatl. Richard Townsend maintains, however, that the depression was made in the 16th century for unknown purposes. The stone was rediscovered on 17 December 1791 when the Zócalo, the heart of downtown Mexico City, was being repaved. Workmen had been cutting cobblestone, and were about to cut up the carved monolith. A churchman named Gamboa happened to be passing by and saved the stone from the same result. The stone was then moved to the nearby Cathedral, and propped up vertically on one of the building's towers, where it stayed until 1824, when it was moved to the university. The stone is currently in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. The monolith is made of basalt and measures 93 cm tall with a diameter of 2.65 meters and a circumference of 8.31 meters.

Features

The lateral side of the stone depicts 15 separate scenes of a repeated scene of a costumed warrior having their hair grabbed by another warrior. Presumably the first figure, the warrior with the largest headdress is identified by the glyph of Tizoc and wears the headdress of the deity Huitzilopotchli, the revered god of war. In each scene the warrior being grabbed has an identifying location glyph. Each of the warriors grabbing the other are identified with the 'smoking foot' motif as well as the symbol of the smoking mirror in their headdress both icons associating them with the deity Tezcatlipoca. Along the bottom of the rim are glyphs representing Tlaltecuhtli at each of the cardinal points, in between these glyphs are rows of tecpatl, sacrificial knives. Along the top of the rim are eyes and circular pieces of jade, symbols of Venus and the stars. The top of the stone has a sun diadem, with large triangles corresponding with the cardinal directions while smaller rays point in the inter-cardinal directions. The stone also features a large divot from the center to the edge of the sculpture. This divot is believed to have been done after the creation of the stone due to the rough and asymmetrical nature of the cut.

Interpretations

The act of grabbing another's hair has long been recognized as a symbol of defeat or conquering in Mesoamerica, as such the stone is interpreted to represent the conquest of other locations by the Mexica. The main interpretation is that the stone is a propaganda piece for Tizoc, the Aztec Emperor from 1481 to 1486; an average emperor who wanted, and helped to, rebuild the Aztec pyramid. Aztec glyphs above each conquered soldier give the name of the original site which may have already been conquered. The toponyms are written in a mixture of logographic and syllabic signs. The stone also depicts the stars at the top rim, emphasizing the heavens; while the icons at the bottom edge represent the earth. Combined with the solar iconography on the top, this associates Aztec conquering and rule with the divine. While Tizoc is the only identifiable conqueror, each subsequent Mexica warrior shares the same 'smoking foot' motif to link them together. Some historians take this to mean that Tizoc is attempting to link his only large military conquest, depicted as the first scene, to the conquests of previous rulers. The fact that there are fifteen scenes could be related to the 15 lords of the 15 Mexica city-states, emphasizing the political and military divisions of the Mexica emperor. Richard Townsend argues that the relief may function as a symbolic manifestation of the Aztec empires tribute system. In relation to Mexica tradition, conquered tribes or cities were expected to send sacrificial offerings to the victor. Tizoc, head of the Aztec empire at the time, would therefore be the one collecting these tributes. The stone acts as acknowledgement of such a transaction. As a temalacatl, the stone may have been used for mock battles between a group of warriors and a victim who was tied to the stone and given a feathery club while the warriors had sharp macuahuitl. It is argued however, that temalactal are often described of as being flat on the top and the central hole lacks any kind of bar with which to tie a victim. More likely however, the stone was used as a cuauhxicalli, within the center of which the hearts of sacrificial victims were placed. It is argued that central hole likely had a face (like the Calendar Stone) which was later mutilated.

Lateral view of the stone

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Stone of Tizoc

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Stone of Tizoc claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Stone of Tizoc before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Stone of Tizoc ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Stone of Tizoc

In research: Stone of Tizoc appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Stone of Tizoc in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Stone of Tizoc is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 15th-century inscriptions, Aztec artifacts, Basalt sculptures, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Stone of Tizoc outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Stone of Tizoc in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Stone of Tizoc means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Stone of Tizoc out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stone of Tizoc in simple terms?

Why does Stone of Tizoc matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Stone of Tizoc?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Stone of Tizoc.