Aztec Advanced Technology
Nope, the Aztecs didn't have iPhones, imagine life
The Aztecs had many advanced technologies. Some of their more famous ones consist of chinampas, stone carving, pyramid building, canoe building and obsidian weapons (atlatl).
First off, chinampas. Chinampas (floating gardens) are what the Aztecs used to farm. The Aztec would build a rectangular fence and then fill it with dead plants and mud until it rose above the water level. Because the soil that the chinampa was made from was so rich in nutrients, chinampas would average out to 7 crops a year.
Secondly, stone carving. The Aztecs carved stones from rocks as common as volcanic rocks to semi-precious jade. Although the Aztecs did carve stones for their pyramids, they also carved stones as art and decoration.
The Aztecs used pyramids not to continue life like the Egyptians, but much the opposite. The Aztecs used their pyramids for humane sacrifice! Because of the Aztecs stone carving, when they did build there pyramids, they could make them any way they wanted. Stairs, they wanted stairs. If you were an Aztec prisoner, from another tribe that they had conquered, the pyramids stairs would usually end up as the resting place of your decapitated body. If you weren't a prisoner, life could actually be pretty good.
Imagine living on a tropical island with beautiful canals and all the land consisting of luscious gardens. On the main, original island imagine amazingly beautiful monumental temples and pyramids. Every day you could go to the market and trade for fresh fruit and colorful clothes. No matter where you turned, there was immense beauty. Not only could you spend your time basking in the sun on the land but you could also go boating and fishing. To do this you need a canoe.
Even though the Aztecs were familiar with the wheel, they only used it for toys. Also, because the Aztecs didn't have beasts of burden, the relied on canoes to transport people, food and other goods. The most common Aztec canoe was made from a single tree trunk that the middle of was carved out. The usually also had upturned ends. The Aztecs would use a pole to then propel themselves through the water. That form of canoe usually took about a week to make. The Aztecs biggest canoe was usually about 50ft long and made from straight-grained spruce trees. These canoes could carry 60 passengers or 3 tons of maize (corn).
Now, onto obsidian weapons. Most all Aztec weapons were made of or had some part of obsidian. Obsidian is a glass like substance that can be made even sharper then steel but it also dulls faster. Obsidian is formed on the top of lava flows. The atlatl (spear thrower) was a weapon the Aztecs created to through obsidian tipped spears great distances. The atlatl could throw a spear over 100 meters. The atlatl was a long stick with a cup on one end to hold a spear. The atlatl was used by flicking the wrist which launched the spear. Later on, the Aztecs made improvements to the atlatl such as a more flexible stick and a centered rock. These improvements mad the atlatl throw farther and quieter. Sometimes the Aztec would poison there weapons to make them more lethal.
If the Aztec had not had such great technologies, they probably wouldn't have conquered so many other civilizations and made so many enemies. Without these enemies, the Aztec may have beat the Spaniards because they could have made alliances with there enemies instead of the Spaniards making alliances with there enemies.
First off, chinampas. Chinampas (floating gardens) are what the Aztecs used to farm. The Aztec would build a rectangular fence and then fill it with dead plants and mud until it rose above the water level. Because the soil that the chinampa was made from was so rich in nutrients, chinampas would average out to 7 crops a year.
Secondly, stone carving. The Aztecs carved stones from rocks as common as volcanic rocks to semi-precious jade. Although the Aztecs did carve stones for their pyramids, they also carved stones as art and decoration.
The Aztecs used pyramids not to continue life like the Egyptians, but much the opposite. The Aztecs used their pyramids for humane sacrifice! Because of the Aztecs stone carving, when they did build there pyramids, they could make them any way they wanted. Stairs, they wanted stairs. If you were an Aztec prisoner, from another tribe that they had conquered, the pyramids stairs would usually end up as the resting place of your decapitated body. If you weren't a prisoner, life could actually be pretty good.
Imagine living on a tropical island with beautiful canals and all the land consisting of luscious gardens. On the main, original island imagine amazingly beautiful monumental temples and pyramids. Every day you could go to the market and trade for fresh fruit and colorful clothes. No matter where you turned, there was immense beauty. Not only could you spend your time basking in the sun on the land but you could also go boating and fishing. To do this you need a canoe.
Even though the Aztecs were familiar with the wheel, they only used it for toys. Also, because the Aztecs didn't have beasts of burden, the relied on canoes to transport people, food and other goods. The most common Aztec canoe was made from a single tree trunk that the middle of was carved out. The usually also had upturned ends. The Aztecs would use a pole to then propel themselves through the water. That form of canoe usually took about a week to make. The Aztecs biggest canoe was usually about 50ft long and made from straight-grained spruce trees. These canoes could carry 60 passengers or 3 tons of maize (corn).
Now, onto obsidian weapons. Most all Aztec weapons were made of or had some part of obsidian. Obsidian is a glass like substance that can be made even sharper then steel but it also dulls faster. Obsidian is formed on the top of lava flows. The atlatl (spear thrower) was a weapon the Aztecs created to through obsidian tipped spears great distances. The atlatl could throw a spear over 100 meters. The atlatl was a long stick with a cup on one end to hold a spear. The atlatl was used by flicking the wrist which launched the spear. Later on, the Aztecs made improvements to the atlatl such as a more flexible stick and a centered rock. These improvements mad the atlatl throw farther and quieter. Sometimes the Aztec would poison there weapons to make them more lethal.
If the Aztec had not had such great technologies, they probably wouldn't have conquered so many other civilizations and made so many enemies. Without these enemies, the Aztec may have beat the Spaniards because they could have made alliances with there enemies instead of the Spaniards making alliances with there enemies.