A brief historical excursion. The Middle Ages, which will be discussed in the article, occupied a period in the history of mankind from the X to the XVI century. Their beginning was the collapse of the most powerful world empire in Europe - the Western Roman Empire. And the end of the XIV century was marked by the domination of the Aztec empire in a significant part of Mesoamerica, or, as the neighboring tribes called them, the tenochek.
The toponymy of the Aztecs' residence often changed, because because of their militant aggressiveness they did not get along with neighboring tribes and peoples. They had to wander from place to place. What were the achievements of the Aztec civilization in the Middle Ages?
Ancient city of the Aztecs. Mexico
Made in in pre-Columbian America
The level of development of this America cannot be compared with the European level of the same time. At best, comparable to the Ancient East - Babylon or Egypt. A similar work of slaves, although there were more free farmers, artisans, the unification of the population into communities. The influence of rulers and religious leaders in the person of the priests grew. True, the civilizations of Mesoamerica were based more on the labor of indefatigable tribes than on the seizure of other people's material values. The same can be said about the very warlike Aztecs.
Pleasure boats in Shochimilko
Lake Shochimilko in the former capital of the Aztecs is the only one that has survived to this day, later called the Venice of the New World. A network of artificial islands, multiple channels - all this was created by the hands of artisans and slaves. So these tribes, between raids on foreign lands for slaves, tried to arrange their lives in a civilized way. And now the Mexicans protect it as a protected area of 12 million square meters.
Promotional video:
Canal streets in Xochimilco
Incas, Aztecs, Maya: achievements and inventions of the ancients
So the whole world should know what the Incas, Mayans, Aztecs and other Indian civilizations of the central and southern part of the American continent gave him. When Europeans buy pure chocolate or chocolates, potatoes, corn, sunflower oil and dozens of other items, they must remember: all this came to them from Indian Latin America.
Cocoa
Once upon a time, ancient tribes tasted cocoa fruits and appreciated their taste. Cocoa gave the body strength and improved mood. They began to be planted in whole plantations, over the years seeking to improve the quality of the beans. The beans were used to make the chocolatl. So the future chocolate was born.
Cocoa
Soon, cocoa beans rose in a peculiar price that became money. They could buy both an animal and a slave. They became export - ships carried cocoa grains on ships, filling all the holds with them. The Maya have grown huge plantations of these trees, which bear fruit twice a year for eighty years. And the Aztecs decided differently: they imposed a tribute on the producers of cocoa beans in the occupied territories. Pay with beans!
Corn (maize)
It was to the Indians what bread was to the Europeans. Researchers of the New World have found the oldest ear of corn, setting its age at 7000 years. Since then, the length of the cob has grown 10 - 15 times!
But today, in most cases, it serves as feed for livestock and poultry. For food, grains are processed - into the same popcorn or corn sticks.
From there came to Europe and sunflower. But his withdrawal from the wild and domesticization took place closer to our times - only 2500 years. But complex breeding aimed at improving the quality of seeds and increasing yields is carried out without stopping in time.
Corn (maize)
Tobacco
Of course, smokers are grateful to the Indians for their tobacco. It grew by itself for six thousand years, until the aborigines understood its significance for humans.
No one had ever analyzed how the Indians lived among tobacco plants and did not attach much importance to it. But after some hundred years, Indians from other territories learned about it, and the Spanish conquerors brought it to the Old World.
Tequila
Today the strong alcoholic drink tequila has conquered, if not the whole world, then many territories. Tequila in its modern sense was not invented by the Mayans or the Aztecs. From the agave "pulque" the Indians initially received fermented juice with a strength of four to six degrees of alcohol. In our opinion, it was a braga, which they called “the gift of the gods” there.
To this primitive technology, Spanish sailors added the European method of producing alcohol. In 1600, a tequila factory was already operational. The authorities immediately taxed it. And the tequila was exported under the brand name "Jose Cuervo". This brand is still alive.
Tequila
Homeopathy
Indians, like all other people, are susceptible to disease, especially in ancient times. And how to be treated? Remedies for various ailments were sought in the plant kingdom. Homeopathy dates back to those times.
The tribes have studied well the entire palette of flowers and other plants, tested it on themselves. Some expelled coughs from the chest, others relieved stomach cramps and all kinds of disorders, the third healed inflamed wounds, the fourth used the bactericidal properties of toads.
You can also name many ancient recipes that have been tested in Mesoamerica. And the whole world has adopted the experience of the Indians of this region. In Russian villages, sore throat and other diseases of the oral cavity are still being treated by breathing on an earthen toad, whose skin is bactericidal. This helped create the drug Bufarian just for the treatment of these diseases. The following fact testifies to the power of ancient Indian medicine. If the Indians took over the treatment of wounds, after their treatments, the wounds healed faster.
The Mayan physicians succeeded in ancient healing, and at the same time they gave birth to the medical division of labor that exists today. Some were traumatologists, others were dentists. It was somehow easier to eliminate external damage even with stone medical equipment, but it’s hard to imagine how with teeth. Actually, as in many cases dentists do now: if a tooth is ill, then it must be pulled out!
The list of achievements of the ancient Indians is not exhausted by this list.