Aztec Science & Technology

Tools and Weapons

Ancient Aztecs made numerous advancements in technology
that benefited their empire's thriving economy. Some of these
advancements were evident in their weapons, tools, calendars and
medicine. Even though Aztecs did not have iron or bronze they
found creative ways to create effective weapons to use during
warfare. Instead of using the common materials used to make
weapons, Aztecs used obsidian, chert, copper, and stone. Some of
the weapons and tools they made were drills, axe blades, theatlatls,
and the macuahuitls. The theatlatl made a spear easier to throw.
The macuahuitl was a club made of wood that paralyzed enemies.
Aztecs also made canoes that allowed them to carry goods through
waterways in the empire.

Aztec Calendars
Aztecs used two calendars, one was used to keep time and the other was
used to be aware of the days to praise gods. The religious calendar had 260
days, each day of each month was dedicated to a god. The time calendar
had 365 days and 18 months, the months consisted of twenty days. Because
natural disasters usually occurred on certain days, five extra days were
added to the end of each year, these days were known as "bad days". If a
baby was born on a bad day they were named on a good day. The time
calendar is made of stone and it consists of symbols for each day of the
month. The symbols were animals, elements, and objects, such as
a crocodile, the wind, or a house.

Aztec Medicine
Aztec medical advancements were also an astonishing part of Aztec society. Doctors had cures for sickness and
injuries and also had ways to prevent them. Some of the illness' and injuries that doctors treated were fevers,
earaches, broken bones, and colds. Doctors even had procedures for women to go through when they were
pregnant, such as having a woman carry wood ash if she went out past dawn to ward off evil spirits that could
harm her fetus.

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