La Mojarra Stela 1 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids La Mojarra Stela 1 |
|
|---|---|
Left side image of La Mojarra Stela 1, showing a person identified as "Harvester Mountain Lord".
|
|
| Material | Limestone |
| Created | 2nd century |
| Discovered | 1986 in the Acula River near La Mojarra, Veracruz, Mexico |
| Present location | Museo de Antropología, Xalapa, Veracruz |
La Mojarra Stela 1 is an ancient stone monument, called a stela, from Mesoamerica. It was carved around the year 156 CE. This amazing stone was found in 1986. It was pulled from the Acula River near La Mojarra, Veracruz, Mexico. This area is not far from the old Tres Zapotes archaeological site.
The stela is made of limestone and is very large. It is about 1.37 meters (4.5 feet) wide and 1.98 meters (6.5 feet) high. It weighs about four tons! The stone has around 535 special carvings called glyphs. These glyphs are part of the Isthmian script, an early writing system. This stela is one of the oldest known written records from Mesoamerica. It tells about a ruler's achievements. It also connects these events to important dates and sky events, like how the stars and planets move.
The right side of the stone shows a full picture of a man. He wears a fancy headdress and a special costume. The bottom part of the carving is quite worn out, so it's hard to see clearly. Above the man, there are 12 short lines of glyphs carved into the stone. To his right, there are eight longer lines of glyphs. These glyphs include two dates from the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. These dates match May 143 CE and July 156 CE. This stela is an early example of how rulers were honored. Later, similar stelae became common for Maya rulers during the Classic era.
Finding and Understanding the Stela
After it was found, the La Mojarra Stela was kept in storage for some years. It was at the Museo de Antropología in Xalapa. In November 1995, the stela was being prepared for display. That's when people noticed a new set of glyphs on one side. These glyphs were hard to see because they were worn down, but parts of them were still clear.
In 1993, and again in 1997, after the new glyphs were found, two experts named John Justeson and Terrence Kaufman suggested what the glyphs might mean. They believed the man shown on the stela was named "Harvester Mountain Lord." Their ideas about the glyphs describe his journey to becoming king. They also mention a solar eclipse, when the planet Venus appeared, and even a war. The carvings might also tell about someone trying to take his power. Some parts could even describe a special ritual where Harvester Mountain Lord himself performed a bloodletting.
However, other experts, like Michael D. Coe and Stephen D. Houston, do not fully agree with this explanation. To truly understand what the stela says, more archaeological discoveries might be needed in the future.
-
A close-up view of the main person carved on the stela.
-
A detailed look at the carvings at the top of the stela.
-
A detailed look at the carvings at the bottom of the stela.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Estela 1 de La Mojarra para niños
