Izapa Stela 5 facts for kids
Izapa Stela 5 is a large, carved stone monument found in an ancient place called Izapa. This site is in Mexico, near the border with Guatemala. Many similar carved stones, called stelae, were found there.
These stelae were made a very long time ago, between about 300 BCE and 100 BCE. Some experts think they might be from as late as 250 CE. Stela 5 is also known as the "Tree of Life" stone. It seems to show a story about how the world was created, which was important to the people of ancient Mesoamerica.
What is Stela 5?
A scientist named Matthew W. Stirling from the Smithsonian Institution first wrote about Stela 5 in 1941. This huge stone is made of volcanic rock called andesite. It weighs about one and a half tons, which is like a small car!
Stela 5 has the most detailed pictures of all the stones found at Izapa. A researcher named Garth Norman counted many things on it. He found at least 12 human figures, 12 animals, more than 25 plants or objects, and 9 masks of gods.
Stories on the Stone
Like many other carvings from Izapa, Stela 5 tells a story about myths and religion. The carvings are very fancy and detailed. Because there are so many different scenes overlapping, it looks like the stone is telling a long story.
See also
In Spanish: Estela 5 de Izapa para niños
