Aztec monolith unearthed in Mexico City

Archaeologists have unearthed what may be the largest monolith ever discovered near Mexico City's main square.

The monolith -- a 14-ton stone -- was found Oct. 2. It is rectangular and measures nearly 13 feet on its longest side.

The largest monolith from the city's center prior to this discovery was the circular-shaped Piedra del Sol. The Piedra del Sol is an Aztec Calendar. It weighs 24 tons, has a diameter of 12 feet and was unearthed in 1790.

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

Barrera said 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 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.

"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. Enditem

Source:Xinhua/Agencies