Ancient Mesoamerican Artifacts Quiz

Aztec Sun Stone

• Massive Mexica sculpture (Piedra del Sol) in Mexico City's National Anthropology Museum.
• Dimensions: 3.6 meters diameter, 98 centimeters thick, 24,590 kg.
• Rediscovered in 1790 during Mexico City Cathedral repairs, initially displayed on the cathedral's exterior wall.
• Carved between 1502 and 1521, during Moctezuma II's reign (indicated by his name glyph).
• Central image debated: possibly solar deity Tonatiuh, earth monster Tlaltecuhtli, or hybrid deity Yohualtecuhtli.
• Authorship and precise purpose remain unclear.

Ocomtún

• Ancient Maya city in Campeche, Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, discovered in 2023.
• Late Classic period (600-800 CE), abandoned around 1000 CE, coinciding with Maya collapse.
• Pyramid structures approximately 15 meters high.
• Discovered by archaeologist Ivan Šprajc using Lidar imagery.
• Named after Mayan word for "stone column," reflecting city's many cylindrical columns.
• Located in Balamkú Ecological Conservation Zone, a previously unexplored, heavily vegetated area.

Montevideo Maru

• Japanese merchant ship, used as military transport during WWII.
• Sunk by USS Sturgeon on July 1, 1942, resulting in over 1054 deaths, primarily Australian POWs and civilians.
• Australia's worst maritime disaster.
• Wreck discovered in April 2023 in the South China Sea, at a depth exceeding 4000 meters, using Fugro technology.
• Memorial located at the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial in Ballarat, Victoria.

Aztec Sun Stone

• The Aztec Sun Stone (Piedra del Sol), a famous Mexica sculpture, is housed in Mexico City's National Anthropology Museum.
• It's a massive monolith: 3.6 meters in diameter, 98 centimeters thick, and weighing 24,590 kg.
• Rediscovered in 1790 during repairs to the Mexico City Cathedral, it was initially displayed on the cathedral's exterior wall.
• While initially believed to be from the 1470s, current research suggests it was carved between 1502 and 1521, during Moctezuma II's reign (indicated by his name glyph).
• The central image is debated: possibly the sun deity Tonatiuh, the earth monster Tlaltecuhtli, or the hybrid deity Yohualtecuhtli.
• Its creation purpose remains unclear, though it reflects the Mexica's final period of power.

Ocomtún

• Ocomtún, a Late Classic Maya city in Campeche, Mexico, was recently discovered by archaeologist Ivan Šprajc.
• The discovery, announced in June 2023, includes several pyramid structures approximately 15 meters high.
• Pottery fragments indicate occupation between 600 CE and 800 CE, with the city's decline around 1000 CE, correlating with the Classic Maya collapse.
• Named after the Mayan word for stone column, referring to the many cylindrical columns found at the site.
• Lidar technology was crucial in locating the city, hidden within dense jungle in the Balamkú Ecological Conservation Zone.

Montevideo Maru

• The Montevideo Maru, a Japanese merchant ship, served as a military transport during World War II.
• Sunk by the USS Sturgeon on July 1, 1942, resulting in the deaths of 1,054 people, mostly Australian POWs and civilians – Australia's worst maritime disaster.
• The sinking occurred after the Sturgeon fired torpedoes, unaware of the prisoners onboard.
• Its wreck was discovered in April 2023, at a depth of over 4,000 meters in the South China Sea, using Fugro's technology.
• The discovery brought comfort to families who had long sought answers about the ship and its lost passengers. A memorial exists in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

Aztec Sun Stone

• The Aztec Sun Stone (Piedra del Sol), a late Postclassic Mexica sculpture, is housed in Mexico City's National Anthropology Museum.
• It's 3.6 meters in diameter, 0.98 meters thick, and weighs 24,590 kg.
• Rediscovered in 1790 during Mexico City Cathedral repairs, it was initially displayed on the cathedral's exterior wall until 1885.
• Modern research dates its carving between 1502 and 1521 (initial estimates were the 1470s), with Moctezuma II's name glyph in the center.
• The central image is debated; it's often considered the solar deity Tonatiuh but could also depict Tlaltecuhtli (earth monster) or Yohualtecuhtli ("Lord of the Night").
• Its creation purpose and creator remain unclear, though some suggest it's linked to the Mexica's final period of eminence.

Ocomtún

• Ocomtún, a Late Classic Mayan city in Campeche, Mexico, was discovered in June 2023 by archaeologist Ivan Šprajc.
• Lidar imagery revealed the city's pyramid structures (approx. 15 meters high).
• Archaeological analysis of pottery dates its inhabitation between 600 CE and 800 CE, with its decline around 1000 CE aligning with the Classic Maya collapse.
• The name "Ocomtún" derives from the Mayan word for "stone column," reflecting the site's many cylindrical columns.
• Located in the Balamkú Ecological Conservation Zone, its remote, jungle-covered location hindered previous exploration.

Montevideo Maru

• The Montevideo Maru, a Japanese merchant ship, served as a military transport during WWII.
• It was sunk by the USS Sturgeon on July 1, 1942, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,054 people––mostly Australian prisoners of war and civilians.
• This sinking remains Australia's worst maritime disaster.
• The wreck was discovered in April 2023 at over 4,000 meters in the South China Sea, off the Philippines. Fugro's technology aided in its discovery.
• A memorial stands at the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial in Ballarat, Victoria.