Page:Stone of the Sun.djvu/20

 which contain the representation of the cosmogonic ages into which the indigenes arranged the history of the world, form this allegory. The figures sculptured in the said frames carry, all of them, four numerals; their symbolism has given rise to important studies ever since the time of Gama and especially by the learned archaeologist, Don Alfredo Chavero.

Artistically developed between the rectangular frames, with the shaft end downward and the point showing the meridian of the place, there is distinguished an arrow of elegant drawing at whose extremities above and below, to right and left, are read the dates Ce técpatl (with its attendant, Tletl) and below Ce quiáhuitl and Ome or Chicome ozomatli. Circumscribed, at the end of the arrow, and between the face and the claws of Tonatiuh, are glyphs and numerals of which we shall speak later. We may add that the very position of the arrow is sufficient proof that the monolith was placed vertically, and not horizontally.

Comprised within the same circle, to the right and the left of the rectangular frames of the naolin, are noted four great numerals. These do not relate to the said sign (which, by its very form, implicitly carries the name "four movements"), but to the face sculptured at the center of the stone. This being the old sun and being figured in a chronographic figure, a native of those times would without vacillation assign to it the value corresponding to it: it is the huehuetiliztli or century of the Indians, double and sacred cycle, which the ancient Mexicans called old duration or age; therefore the four numerals indicate four huehuetiliztli, which are 416 years. Such was the motive for not having figured Tonatiuh as in other representations, with a face radiant with life, but with the appearance of age; the stone confirms this repeatedly, as we shall see further on.

Sahagún, speaking of this chronological period and of its importance, expresses himself as follows:

The larger period of time which they counted was 104 years, and they called this count an age, and the half of it, which are 52 years, they called a bundle of years. This method of counting the years they had brought down from antiquity; it is not known when it began; but they held it for certain and as a belief that the world had to come to an end with the conclusion of one of these bundles of years, and they had a prediction and oracle that then the movement of the heavens had to cease, and they took as a sign the movement of the Pleiades on the night of this festival, which they called toxiumolpilia.