Were the Aztecs an advanced empire?

[Red Stranger]

The Aztecs were the most powerful empire in its region, but was well behind the Spanish in terms of development. Yet, a lot of authors would describe the Aztecs as an advanced nation. Do you think they were?

 

[drkodos]

Compared to what?

 

[North King]

Yes. You're thinking far too narrowly; the Aztecs were only behind the Spanish in two things: metallurgy (they had a few thousand years handicap), and domesticated animals (hardly their fault). The Aztec heartland supported some 20 million people. I believe even the Holy Roman Empire did not have that many until around 1600-1700. They had highly sophisticated textiles, and fairly good armor. They had fewer sacrifices per capita than the English had executions per capita in the same age--and both sacrifice and execution was simply a way of demonstrating royal authority (not to mention it was an honor to be sacrificed).

How, exactly, were they not advanced? They had no iron; well, the Spanish had other nations to thank for that, they hardly got it themselves, and no horses--like I said above, hardly their fault, given that those went extinct thousands of years ago in the Americas--and no diseases stems from the whole no domesticated animals part.

 

[Red Stranger]

How, exactly, were they not advanced? They had no iron; well, the Spanish had other nations to thank for that, they hardly got it themselves, and no horses--like I said above, hardly their fault, given that those went extinct thousands of years ago in the Americas--and no diseases stems from the whole no domesticated animals part.

That just means that there were other nations more advanced than the Spanish. Doesn't make the Aztecs more advanced.

 

[Atlas14]

Yes, their agricultural practices were very advanced, their architecture was fairly advanced. The Spanish would have been no match for them had the Aztecs had metal and beasts of burden. The Aztecs surprisingly though never did invent the wheel. The Aztec messanger system was advanced too, as was that of the Incas. Aztec warfare was unique, I wouldn't say advnaced, but simply unique. They sought to capture victims for sacrifice instead of attacking to kill.

 

[Red Door]

Yes, they were way ahead of other American tribes at the time.

 

[drkodos]

That just means that there were other nations more advanced than the Spanish. Doesn't make the Aztecs more advanced.

Wrong. At the time, the Spanish may have been the most advanced culture on the planet.

The school system that produced you must be very proud.

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[brachy-pride]

Of course Spain was a lot more advanced, bu Considering their isolation from the old world, I would say the mesoamerican civs were very advanced and I find them very impressive.

 

[Urederra]

Dunno, I read that the aztec empire was declining when the Spanish arrived. Anyway, I think it was technically advanced for its time, but my personal impression is that you can only advance that much without inventing-discovering the scientific method. Without that, technology can only advance up to a point.

 

[Red Door]

Dunno, I read that the aztec empire was declining when the Spanish arrived. Anyway, I think it was technically advanced for its time, but my personal impression is that you can only advance that much without inventing-discovering the scientific method. Without that, technology can only advance up to a point.

IIRC, Montezuma II was leading the empire into a bad times, and the arrival of the Spanish didn't help at that.

 

[brennan]

They had fewer sacrifices per capita than the English had executions per capita in the same age

Now there's a statistic I never thought i'd see.

 

[Yuri2356]

The Aztecs surprisingly though never did invent the wheel.

I think that they invented the wheel, they just didn't have nearly as much use for it as the peoples of Europe and Asia did. Or are we to beleive that they produced all that food without any sort of mill, and built those lovely pyramids with zero use of pulleys?

 

[Gogf]

Advanced compared to whom?

 

[Atlas14]

I think that they invented the wheel, they just didn't have nearly as much use for it as the peoples of Europe and Asia did. Or are we to beleive that they produced all that food without any sort of mill, and built those lovely pyramids with zero use of pulleys?

Well, the wheel in the transportation sense of course.

 

[North King]

Dunno, I read that the aztec empire was declining when the Spanish arrived. Anyway, I think it was technically advanced for its time, but my personal impression is that you can only advance that much without inventing-discovering the scientific method. Without that, technology can only advance up to a point.

Well, the Aztecs were something of a Greek counterpart for the Mesoamerican world. If we say the Olmecs and/or Zapotecs were the Sumerians, then the Maya were probably the Babylonians and Egyptians. The Aztecs were getting sophisticated philosophy, and we might well have seen a fairly advanced successor state evolve.

The problem is, it doesn't matter what level of tech you have: unless you have vaccinations, a nation which doesn't have domesticates is simply going to be wiped out by someone who does, simply due to a 95%-98% death rate from diseases.

 

[Vietcong]

no, thay whear 1000-2000 years behind the rest of the world..

thay whould have fitteted perficly along side civs like persia, egypt, greeces romans, ect ect ect..

 

[North King]

no, thay whear 1000-2000 years behind the rest of the world..

thay whould have fitteted perficly along side civs like persia, egypt, greeces romans, ect ect ect..

Only in metallurgy and domesticated animals. Yay redundancy.

 

[Atlas14]

no, thay whear 1000-2000 years behind the rest of the world..

thay whould have fitteted perficly along side civs like persia, egypt, greeces romans, ect ect ect..

These civilizations had access to metal...considering what the Aztecs made due with, they were incredibly advanced. Their stone wedges had almost perfect edges.

 

[Vietcong]

even if ths spanish didnt take them out, it whould have been some one eals.. i bet it whould have been the azteks them selfs.. i can see after a defeat of the spanish major rebelions as food becomes harder too find and 95% of the ppl die from desies.

 

[Vietcong]

allso thear weapons whear good, but the obsidion sword whould have just shatered when swang aginst a steal sheild or sword.