[Aztlan] Aztec monolith may be the biggest uncovered in the DF

[michael ruggeri]

Monolith perhaps largest found in Mexico


Archaeologists announced Friday that a monolith discovered earlier  
this month near Mexico City's main square is perhaps the largest ever  
unearthed in the city's center.

The monolith, found on Oct. 2, is rectangular and measures nearly 13  
feet on its longest side. The largest monolith from the city's center  
until this latest discovery — the circular Piedra del Sol, or Aztec  
Calendar, unearthed in 1790 — has a diameter of 12 feet.

"At this time, the most important thing about this is its size," said  
the lead archaeologist on the excavation project, Alvaro Barrera.

The 24-ton Aztec Calendar stone, however, is nearly double the weight  
of the newcomer, which is estimated to be a mere 14 tons.

"It's tough to say which is the biggest, because the Piedra del Sol  
(Aztec Calendar) weighs more, but its circular radius is not as long  
as this monolith's largest side," said Angel Romas, information  
director of the Templo Mayor Museum, which is collaborating with the  
archaeological team.

Barrera noted that the full significance of the discovery will not  
become clear until the excavation is complete, in about a month.  
"We've excavated the top of the monolith but we still don't know  
what's beneath it," he said.

The archaeological team thus far has removed 480 cubic feet of earth  
from the area around the top of the monolith. The group estimates  
that in order to be able to completely view the monolith, they need  
to remove another 13.5 cubic meters.


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