This is a stone carving of Tlazolteotl, an Aztec figure shown giving birth, that is in the collection of Dumbarton Oaks. (John Kelly/The Washington Post) ...

The stone has long been an emblem of Mexican identity. Commissioned by the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II (r. 1502–1520), the nearly 12-foot-wide stone was completed during his reign, in about 1511.

The label on its pedestal reads “Piedra del Sol,” or “Stone of the Sun,” but another common name is “Aztec Calendar Stone.” ...

Now, with the realization that the monolith is likely a giant stone idol, some are calling it one of the greatest archeological finds in a country that also boasts pyramids like Chichen Itza and ...

Many believe the central figure to represent the sun god, Tonatiuh. In Aztec cosmology, he represents the Fifth Sun or the Sun of Movement and he is surrounded by representations of four previous ...

The Aztec Sun Stone, which postdates Mayan civilization by 500 years, has absolutely nothing to say about when the world will end. The Maya did have some impressive, if less photogenic, calendars.