The Aztecs had no iron or bronze with which to make their tools or weapons. Therefore, the Aztec’s had to develop a system for creating effective tools and weapons. For this reason, many Aztec tools were made with rocks such as obsidian and chert even made drills, which were made of reed or bone.
The Aztecs were a remarkable civilization. Th is civilization were distrusted and disliked because they tended to push others out of their way. They ruled an empire in Tenochtitlan in the time of 1350 to 1519. They also were known for their agriculture and human sacrifices. Agriculture was a very important part of their h istory because without their farming method the Aztec couldn't have created such great civilization. According to Document A of the Aztec DBQ, states that the Aztec empire grew more than 200 miles west to east, and north to south. Th is means that with the growth of the empire the population also grew and more effective agriculture techniques were needed to feed the people. They created the method of ch inampas because they
Because of this thinking, I feel the Aztecs never made technological advancements to bigger and better weapons which would later come back to haunt them when faced by an opponent that was fighting to kill such as the Spanish.
The author argues that the Spanish were completely at fault for the total destruction of the Aztec Empire. In Broken spears, the author explains how many factors other than Spanish power contributed to the downfall of the Aztecs. Not only did the Spanish have many advantages over the Aztecs, but also they also exploited them and took advantage of the cultural difference. The main key aspects to the Spanish victory, is that the Spanish were viewed as gods at first because of their appearance, the Aztecs welcomed the Spanish with gifts and festivities, which showed the Spanish had total control of people. The Aztecs also held a ritual ceremony for the arrival of the “god” that included a human
While most of what has happened historically is clouded by speculation and wonder, some events have been well-documented. The Conquest of the Americas by the Spanish was an event in which many aspects were recorded, which has helped historians tremendously. The Broken Spears is a historical outlook on the Spanish Conquest of the Americas that includes several different texts written by many different indigenous people. Numerous texts are written in such a way that show the fear that the people experienced while having their towns overtaken, while other texts simply explain what was happening at the time. In Traditions and Encounters, a more factual approach is
This, as well as construction was thought to provide jobs for many third and fourth class people during this time. Unfortunately, as a result of many years of grave robberies, storms, and other outside interferences, there is little remaining evidence of these craftsmen. As a result, most of what we know today comes from Aztec records which biased and incomplete. What we do have, though, is something no grave robber can steal- ruins from the ancient Toltec city. Located in Mexico City, the Zona Arqueologica de Tula stands tall even after centuries of not being used. Before you ask, the buildings are not made of gold. This site contains two Mexican style pyramids, what is assumed to be a stone palace, two courts for a game called tlatchli (a game they played which helped decide who was the next sacrifice to the gods) surrounded by large, carved walls, a long walkway speckled with carved columns, and several houses for the “common” or lower class citizens. On top of both the pyramids, stone warriors watch over the land. This once grand capital passed down from the hands of the Toltec to the hands of the Aztec who, based on the records they kept of their and Toltec culture, practically idolized the Toltec. In fact, one of the highest honors of Aztec was to call someone toltecayotl, which translates to ‘to have the
The technology that Mesoamerica was famous for came when humans fist discovered and entered the Americas. They had their tools with them which quickly spread across the land and were often found in the ancient people’s graves. After the tools spread, they began to improve. For example, they were used for agriculture in document 7, the Indians were using tools to plant and harvest corn. Soon, Mesoamerica began to improve even more
The Aztec and Spanish weaponry was both similar and different. The Spanish and Aztec had variations of a spear that were used in battle. The Aztec spear was a long piece of wood that was sharpened at both ends. The tips of the spear were also hardened in the flame of a fire. A Spanish spear was similar but was not double sided. Spanish spears also had sharpened steel points at the end. Although the Spanish had steel weapons, the Aztec made weapons with obsidian blades. For example the maquahuitl (war club)
The Aztecs and the Spanish had many different weapons, along with a few that were similar. While the Aztecs used wood and obsidian to make a large amount of their weapons, the Spanish used quite a bit of wood and mostly steel for their weapons. Despite the different materials, certain weapons can easily be compared. For example, the bow and arrow and the harquebus. Also, the Aztec’s spears and Spanish lances. And, of course, the macuahuitl and sword.
As mentioned in the past paragraph, the Aztecs had many temples and houses for their idols. The architectural structures of the Aztecs were of great sophistication. First, let me mention that their Province was built in the shape of a circle surrounded by rugged mountains. It is not stated in Cortes’ letter but it may have strategically been located there to be
A second major theme, which played a very important role in this event, was the incredible advantage given to the Spanish due to their technology. The Aztecs were an advanced civilization with a large infrastructure, an organized system of government and many artistic and cultural achievements. However, they severely lacked many important advantages that were common in Europe at that time. The Aztecs had no iron tools or weapons,
This is often seen in ax heads and maces. Obsidian mirrors are made in the same grounding process. Bone needles used for stitching clothes were also found. My point with identifying all these different methods of making tools is that it is highly unlikely that each and every household had the skills to do all these functions. There must have been class levels in this society and since there wasn’t any sign of currency they must have used some sort of bartering system attain these services. Like a hunter going to get his ax re-sharpened and paying the craftsmen with some game that he has killed.
The axes were made from ground igneous, which are rocks crystallized by molten magma. Most arrowheads and knives were made of flaked flint. Medicine shields were sacred because it reflected the power of the warrior and was meant to give him spiritual protection. The war shield was made out of hide from the neck of a buffalo, which was smoked with glue made from bison hoofs. The war clubs were wooden and had knife blades protruding out of them.
Back in the Stone Age, the early man created tools to help them do everyday tasks they needed to survive. In document #2, figure 2 shows a variety of tools and weapons created by early man such as bows, arrows, and spear throwers and so on. The materials needed to make these include bones, antlers, and teeth because they were durable. Some types of tools that early man made was sharper blades for hunting, fishhooks for fishing, and needles for sewing. In document #5, a picture shows a group of people doing tasks to help out with the community. One woman is crafting fur/skin into clothes, another woman is taking care of a child and the men are hunting for food. Without tools, these tasks would take a longer time to accomplish and would be even harder to do. Depending on the group, the cultures could be different, which could effect on how they make a
While the Aztecs did have some great weapons, the Spanish had a lot better weapons than the Aztecs. One of the Spanish weapons, the Crossbow was a long-ranged weapon that was better than the Aztec spear thrower. It was more accurate, had more range, and didn’t rely on human strength as much. As far as technology goes, the Aztecs did not have much. They relied a lot on simple and old technology.
The aztecs had lots of achievements.Like the calender,own launge,basketball.They made stone hoops and basketballs out of hard rubber.The Aztecs made huge stone heads.