Why did the Aztecs not have metal weapons?

The Aztecs didn’t develop their use of metal because they couldn’t see beyond obsidian. Then the Spanish came with their steel guns, swords, and cannon.

Did the Aztec have metal?

The Aztecs did not initially adopt metal working, even though they had acquired metal objects from other peoples. However, as conquest gained them metal working regions, the technology started to spread. By the time of the Spanish conquest, a bronze-smelting technology seemed to be nascent.

What material did the Aztecs not have?

The Aztecs had no iron or bronze with which to make their tools and weapons. Therefore, the ancient Aztec people had to develop a means for creating effective tools and weapons without the benefit of these metals. For this reason, many Aztec tools were made with obsidian and chert.

What metals did Aztecs use?

The ore sources (copper, gold, tin, lead) lay outside of the Basin of Mexico but within Aztec tribute provinces; the metal itself was worked or cast in Tenochtitlan workshops.

How did the Aztecs use copper?

For the Aztecs, copper was something they traded for, but it became very important to them as axe-monies. Three Aztecan related communities used this symbol in a reddish color for their town name glyph.

Did the Aztec have copper?

In Mexico, where the Aztecs became the dominant power around the beginning of the 14th Century A.D., copper, tin and gold were worked as well as an alloy of copper and gold known as tumbaga.

What weapons did the Aztecs use?

Weapons & Armour Aztec warriors were taught from childhood in weapons handling and they became expert users of clubs, bows, spears, and darts. Protection from the enemy was provided via round shields (chimalli), and, more rarely, helmets.

What materials did the Aztecs use to make weapons?

Aztec warriors and hunters carried slings made of maguey cactus fiber. The warriors collected rocks as they marched. They also made clay balls spiked with obsidian and full of obsidian flakes.

What kind of weapons did the Aztecs use?

How did Aztecs work gold?

Aztec Gold Work As tribute, the Aztecs were often gifted raw gold materials including powders, ingots and sometimes even foil. Historical sources also show that goldsmiths from the Oaxaca region often worked in Aztec workshops to produce artefacts for Aztec rulers and ceremonies[4].

Did the Aztecs have gold?

The Aztecs certainly had lots of gold, but nowhere near as much as the conquistadors believed. The conventional wisdom was that pre-Columbian tribes worked only gold, copper and platinum found in their native state (i.e. almost pure, and not requiring any smelting).

How did the Aztecs use gold?

The Aztecs valued using gold for plates, ornaments, medals, and other decorations. Cortéz eventually imprisoned the King who openly told him where to find gold in the region.