List of Mexican inventions and discoveries

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Mexican inventions and discoveries are objects, processes or techniques invented or discovered, partially or entirely, by a person from Mexico. These also include concepts or practices introduced by Mexican people and their indigenous ancestors. Some of the objects, processes or techniques developed in the Pre-Columbian era were also invented or discovered independently in other cultures. This list shows only inventions and discoveries first introduced in present-day Mexican territory, or those that vary significantly in concept, figure, or use.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Pre-Hispanic[edit]

Musical instruments[edit]

A drawing from the 16th century Florentine Codex showing a One Flower ceremony with a teponaztli (foreground) and a huehuetl (background).

Art[edit]

Wall painting in Teotihuacan.
  • Painting – Classic period Maya paintings, found in the archaeological sites of Cacaxtla and Bonampak, are some of the most refined paintings ever to come out of the ancient Americas. Besides the Maya, other indigenous civilizations were also known for their wall paintings, including the Aztec, who developed the art of sand painting.
  • Pottery – many indigenous American cultures and peoples independently invented and then refined pottery in the Americas into fine works of art, as well for utilitarian usage. The Moche and Maya were some of the best potters from the ancient Americas, and their work still inspires awe amongst us for the level of artistry, creativity, and sophistication, which such highly prized works of arts involved. Many other indigenous American cultures also developed their own pottery styles during the pre-Columbian time periods and continued to refine their artwork into the modern era.

Calendrics[edit]

  • Xiuhpōhualli:One of several calendars used by the Aztec, it consisted of 365 days and held great importance for religious rituals and agricultural practices.
  • Mesoamerican calendars
Aztec Sun stone
  • Almanacs – Almanacs were invented independently by the Maya peoples. Their culture arose, and presumably began using almanacs, around 3,500 years ago, while Europeans are known to have created written almanacs only after 1150 CE. Almanacs are books containing meteorological and astronomical information, which the Maya used in various aspects of their life.[1]

Engineering[edit]

  • Aqueducts:The Aztecs constructed complex, dual-pipe aqueducts to supply their vast city of Tenochtitlan.
  • Canals:the Aztecs constructed great canals used for transporting food, cargo, and relaying people to the chinampas (floating gardens used for growing food) in their great metropolis of Tenochtitlan.[2]
  • Causeway:the Aztec built many giant causeways that connected the mainland to their capital city of Tenochtitlan, located in the heart of the Aztec Empire. The causeways served as arteries used for transporting food, goods, people, captive warriors, and wastes during the heyday of the Aztec Empire in the 14th century to the 16th century.[3]
  • Dams – the Aztec in Tenochtitlan constructed great dams during the heyday of the Aztec Empire. Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire, was first built on a small island that was located in the western section of Lake Texcoco in 1325 CE. The Aztec created various large artificial islands around the small island using a system that was similar to building the chinampas (floating gardens in the lake that was used to grow food for the cities' population). To provide drinking water to the cities' population of over a quarter of a million inhabitants, the Aztec built a system of dams that separated the salty waters of the lake from the rainwater that was accumulated during periods of heavy rains. The Aztec also used the dam to control the level of water in the lake and prevent their city from being flooded during times of heavy rains. To prevent flooding, the Aztec constructed an inner system of channels that helped to control the water level and held the level steady during flooding and periods of intense rains. Hernán Cortés, and the other Spanish conquistadors, destroyed these engineering marvels that the Aztec had developed during the previous 200 years.[4]
  • Palaces:indigenous American civilizations such as the Olmecs, Mayans, Zapotecs, Aztecs, Mixtecs, Moche, Toltecs, Inca, Chimú, Nazca and many more built elaborate palaces. The Mayan palace in Palenque is one of the best examples of Mayan palace architecture.
The Palace and aqueduct at Palenque
  • Pyramids:advanced civilizations in Mexico, such as the Toltecs, Olmecs, Zapotecs, Aztecs, Mayans, Mixtecs, developed their own myriad styles of pyramids, usually step pyramid, which served for ceremonial/religious and administrative functions. In Mesoamerica, the largest pyramid in the world—The Great Pyramid of Cholula—began to be constructed by the inhabitants of Cholula in the 3rd century BCE. In the Andean regions, the Moches, and some ancient Peruvians also constructed gigantic pyramids as well without any influence from Old World civilizations.
  • Planned city construction:Ancient cities in Mexico–such as Teotihuacan and the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan–incorporated planned city design, including streets laid out in a grid pattern.
Toilet in Teotihuacan.
  • Plumbing:The Maya have been found to be the earliest inventors of plumbing in Mesoamerica, with the earliest example of a pressurized water system being constructed in 750 CE—or earlier. This pressurized water system was located in the Maya site of Palenque, where public baths and toilets were accessible to the residents of the ancient city.[5]
  • Wheel and axle:Mesoamericans invented wheels but only used these as toys. The oldest wheeled figure to have been uncovered in Mesoamerica is a crowned, dog-like figure in Tres Zapotes, Veracruz, dated ca. 100–200 CE. The most common examples of the Mesoamerican wheel and axle are Aztec clay wheeled toys.[6]
The Palace Observation Tower at Palenque.
  • Observatories:Mesoamerican astronomers constructed towers to observe the movements of the planets and other astronomical features and events. Although culture groups throughout the world have observed the planets and stars and recorded their movements, the stone structures of the Mesoamerican and Andean culture groups are significant because they show the emphasis these early astronomers placed on making clear and accurate observations. The most notable example of Maya astronomical observatories is Caracol, in Chichén Itzá. In 1975, archaeoastronomers Anthony F. Aveni and Horst Hartung surveyed the site and suggested that ancient Maya astronomers used the structure to observe the planet Venus. The Maya, as well as other Mesoamerican culture groups, used Venus to set times for ceremonies and as a divination tool.[7]

Metal production[edit]

Copper bells, axe heads and ornaments from various parts of Chiapas (1200–1500) on display at the Regional Museum in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas.

Navigation[edit]

The Olmec may have developed compasses for navigation and astronomical study that were made out of lodestones.

Games and entertainment[edit]

Food preparation[edit]

A tamal dulce breakfast tamal from Oaxaca, Mexico. It contains pineapple, raisins and blackberries.
Molcajete used to grind spices

Crops and cultivation[edit]

Chia seed measuring 2 mm
Native Oaxaca criollo avocados, the ancestral form of today's domesticated varieties
One of the remaining chinampas in Xochimilco
  • Vanilla: the Totonac are believed to had been the first to extract vanilla from the pods of vanilla orchids and use it as a flavor enhancer.[13]
  • Cotton
  • Sisal production invented by the Maya.
  • Tobacco
  • Bottle gourds – the ancient Mexicans learned to first cultivate bottle gourds around 8,000 BCE. Indigenous peoples grew bottle gourds for use as bowls, scoops, colanders, ladles, spoons, canteens, and dippers. Larger gourds were used as cooking vessels.[14]
  • Chinampa: Invented in central Mexico around 600 CE

Livestock[edit]

  • Turkey (bird):Approximately 2,000 years ago, ancient Mesoamericans domesticated the turkey during the Late Preclassic period—from 300 BCE to 100 CE.[15]

Fashion[edit]

Page from the Codex Mendoza depicting warriors wearing Ichcahuipilli armor, and wielding fans and tepozli(spears).
  • Huipil
  • Umbrellas:independent of the ancient Chinese (who had also invented the umbrellas on their own), the Maya and the Inca had invented circular umbrellas, which were made from bird feathers.[16]
  • Hand Fan:The Aztecs developed circular handheld fans made of feathers and other materials that served as a status symbol, and were used for warfare activities.

Dog breeds[edit]

Artist Diego Rivera with a Xoloitzquintle at the Casa Azul

Body armor[edit]

  • Bulletproof vest:Ichcahuipilli, was a military armor used by various Mesoamerican cultures. It consisted of a layered cotton shirt, at least 2 inches thick, hardened with brine and other substances. It was originally intended to protect the wearer against projectiles and other weaponry, such as spears, arrows, and obsidian swords, but later was discovered to be capable of stopping musket shots.[17]

Dentistry[edit]

Medication[edit]

  • Antispasmodic medication, invented by the Aztecs.
  • Ephedra:the Aztecs used ephedra in order to treat common colds. Unlike the Chinese version of the ephedra, the New World ephedra that was used by the indigenous Americans contained milder alkaloids.
  • Antibiotics: The Aztecs developed antibiotic treatments by cultivating fungi on tortillas.
Aztec Herbal Medicines[18]
Botanical name Nahuatl name Uses
Artemisia mexicana Itztuahyatl Weakness, colic, reduce fever; coughing
Bocconia frutescens Cococxihuitl Constipation, abscesses, swelling
Bromelia pinguin Mexocotl heat blisters in the mouth
Carica papaya Chichihualxo-chitl Latex unripe fruit for rash ulcer; ripe fruit digestive
Casimiroa edulis Cochitzapotl sedative
Cassia occidentalis or Cassia alata Totoncaxihuitl Astringent, purgative, anthelmintic, relieves fever, inflammation of rashes
Chenopodium graveolens Epazotl Against dysentery, anthelmintic, helps asthmatics breathe
Euphorbia calyculata Cuauhtepatli; chupiri Purgative, skin ailments, mange, skin sores
Helianthus annuus Chilamacatl fever
Liquidambar styraciflua Ocotzotl; xochiocotzotl quanhxihuitl Rashes, toothache, tonic for stomach
Montanoa tomentosa Cihuapatli Diuretic, oxytocic, cures hydropesia
Passiflora jorullensis Coanenepilli Causes sweating, Diuretic, pain reliever, poisons and snake bites
Perezia adnata Pipitzahuac Purgative, cathartic, coughing, sore throat
Persea americana Auacatl; ahuaca quahuitl Astringent, treat sores, remove scars
Pithecolobium dulce Quamochitl Astringent, causes sneezing, cures ulcers and sores
Plantago mexicana Acaxilotic Vomit and cathartic
Plumbago pulchella Tlepatli; tletlematil; itzcuinpatli Diuretic, colic, gangrene
Psidium guajava Xalxocotl Digestion, dysentery, mange
Rhamnus serrata Tlalcapulin Dysentery, bloody bowels
Salix lasiopelis Quetzalhuexotl Stops blood from rectum, cures fever
Schoenocaulon coulteri; Veratrum frigidum Zoyoyatic Causes sneezing, kills mice/lice/flies
Smilax atristolochiaefolia Mecapatli Causes sweating, diuretic, relieves joint pain
Tagetes erecta Cempohualxochitl Causes sweating, cathartic, cures dropsy
Talauma mexicana yolloxochitl Comforts heart, used against sterility
Theobroma cacao Cacahuaquahuitl Excess diarrhea, can cause dizziness

Math[edit]

  • Number 0, invented by the Maya or possibly the Olmec.
An illustration of the Pre-Columbian abacus: the Nepohualtzintzin
  • The ancient Mexicans also developed complex arithmetic functions and operations such as additions, subtractions, divisions, and multiplications. The development of mathematics by the Mexicans assisted them in making sense of the universe, cosmos, astronomy, architecture, and pre-Columbian calendars that were so essential in maintaining a connection between them and the gods and heavens.
  • Abacus – The Aztec and Maya of Mesoamerica performed arithmetic operations using an abacus. It served as a more accurate and faster alternative to a written solution or relying on memory. Archaeologistshe have recorded the Mesoamerican abacus, or Nepohualtzintzin, as being present in Mesoamerica from at least between 900 and 1000 CE.[19]

Sports[edit]

A solid rubber ball used (or similar to those used) in the Mesoamerican ballgame, 300 BCE to 250 CE, Kaminaljuyu. The ball is 3 inches (almost 8 cm) in diameter, a size that suggests it was used to play a handball game. Behind the ball is a manopla, or handstone, which was used to strike the ball, 900 BCE to 250 CE, also from Kaminaljuyu.
This page from the Codex Tovar depicts a scene of gladiatorial sacrificial rite, celebrated on the festival of Tlacaxipehualiztli.
  • Rubber ball: Before 1600 BCE by the Olmec for uncertain purposes and later used by the Mayan and Aztec for ball games.
  • Mesoamerican ballgame: Played differently by the Mayan and the Aztec, it is believed to be one of the first ball games, if not the first.
  • Pelota purépecha
  • Pelota mixteca
  • Xhupa Porrazo: A form of wrestling and martial arts training developed by the Zapotec people. It is still practiced today mainly in Oaxaca Mexico.
  • Boxing: The Maya practiced a form boxing in which they wore conch shells as gloves and wooden helmets.
  • Gladiatorial combat: The Aztecs practiced a form of gladiatorial rite that served as an spectator sport and holy ritual.

Behavioral products[edit]

  • Chewing gum ancient Aztecs used chile as a base for making a gum-like substance and to stick objects together in everyday use. Women, in particular, used this type of gum as a mouth freshener.
  • Tobacco smoking[20]
  • Smoking pipe:indigenous Americans invented the smoking pipe and in particular the ceremonial pipe a type of tobacco pipe. This was an unknown concept to Europeans and the idea was adopted by them and was shortly thereafter brought to the Chinese.

Chemical[edit]

  • Processing of rubber latex as rubber: Although vulcanization with heat or sulfur was neither known nor practised, mesoamerican peoples used the juice of the morning glory vine to similarly cross-link raw rubber and make it usable.[21]

Social[edit]

List of Maya numerals from 0 to 19 with underneath two vertically oriented examples
  • Universal education: The Aztecs were the first civilization known to have introduced compulsory education for both boys and girls.[22]
  • Writing system:Many indigenous American cultures, such as the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Zapotec, and Toltec, developed writing systems.

Commerce[edit]

  • Tianguis: the open air market, considered to have been a direct influence on today's flea market.

Alcoholic beverages[edit]

Health and hygiene[edit]

Pictogram of an Aztec temazcal in the Codex Magliabechiano

Astronomy[edit]

Maya observatory: El Caracol
  • Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Maya and Aztec, were able to accurately predict astronomical events, like eclipses, hundreds of years into the future.[23]

Colonial[edit]

Industrial[edit]

Economy[edit]

Spanish dollar coin minted in Mexico City c. 1809
  • Coin lathe:Developed in 1774 by José Damián Ortiz de Castro.
  • Real de a 8, also known as "Spanish American peso", "Spanish dollar" or "piece of eight", considered to be the first world currency, which also gave the origin of the dollar or peso sign ($), was a Spanish/Mexican invention, it was first used in New Spain before being widely used in the whole Americas, parts of Europe and the Far East. It also provided the model for the currency that the United States adopted in 1792 and the larger coins of the new Spanish American republics such as the Mexican peso and the Philippine peso in Southeast Asia.

Food[edit]

Picture of food on a plate
Quesadillas served at a Friendly's restaurant in New Jersey

Music and musical instruments[edit]

George and Laura Bush at the White House with Mariachi Campanas de América.

Alcoholic beverages[edit]

Sports[edit]

A Charro making a risky "suerte" (Trick).

Fashion[edit]

Ranching and farming[edit]

Chemical[edit]

Modern[edit]

Construction and civil engineering[edit]

A tridilosa, in the ceiling of the Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte, Mexico

Chemical[edit]

Antidotes[edit]

Pharmaceutical[edit]

Automotive[edit]

Mastretta MXT side

Transport[edit]

Aviation[edit]

Firearms[edit]

The influence of the G36 receiver, AK styled gas piston and Mexican recoil delaying system can all be seen in this partial cut away of a first generation FX-05 Xiuhcoatl.

Military technology[edit]

Veracruz (fore) and Guanajuato (rear) at Progreso, Yucatán, Mexico

Music and musical instruments[edit]

Students at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico City dancing in the quebradita style

Fashion[edit]

Art[edit]

Food[edit]

Nachos with cheese, chicken, pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole

Games and celebration[edit]

A nine-pointed star piñata

Dog breeds[edit]

  • Chamuco (a Mexican word which means "devil") or Mexican Pitbull: The breed was developed in central Mexico in the 1970s.
  • Calupoh

Alcoholic beverages[edit]

Modern technologies[edit]

A mouse and mousepad

Communications[edit]

  • Beelinguapp: An app that teaches languages through story telling.
  • Tevi: An app that works as an electronic wallet.

Sports[edit]

Padel area at ISPO 2014

Political[edit]

Industrial[edit]

Tortilla machine

Medical[edit]

Discoveries[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sharer, Robert (2006). The Ancient Maya. Stanford University Press. p. 127. ISBN 9780804748179. maya almanac origin.
  2. ^ Walker, C. 1980, p. 162.
  3. ^ Coe, M. 2008, p. 193.
  4. ^ Şentürk, Fuat (1994). Hydraulics of Dams and Reservoirs. Water Resources Publication. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-918334-80-0.
  5. ^ "Ancient Mayans Likely Had Fountains and Toilets". Live Science. December 23, 2009.
  6. ^ Murrin, John (2014). Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People Sixth Edition. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. p. 17. ISBN 978-0495904991.
  7. ^ Aveni, Anthony F., Gibbs, Sharon L., Hartung, Horst (June 1975). "The Caracol Tower at Chichen Itza: An Ancient Astronomical Observatory?". Science. 188 (4192): 977–985. Bibcode:1975Sci...188..977A. doi:10.1126/science.188.4192.977. PMID 17759669. S2CID 10865295.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ see Hosler 1988, 1995.
  9. ^ Hosler 1988, Pendergast 1962.
  10. ^ Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World
  11. ^ Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World
  12. ^ [1]. Aztec History. Retrieved February 2015.
  13. ^ "16 Indian Innovations: From Popcorn to Parkas". Archived from the original on September 17, 2004.
  14. ^ "Transoceanic drift and the domestication of African bottle gourds in the Americas", Kistler et al, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, February 10, 2014.
  15. ^ "UF researchers discover earliest use of Mexican turkeys by ancient Maya". EurekAlert!. August 8, 2012.
  16. ^ Emory Dean Keoke (2002), Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World: 15,000 Years of Inventions and Innovations, Checkmark Books, ISBN 9781438109909
  17. ^ Phillips, Charles "The Complete Illustrated History of the Aztec & Maya: The Definitive Chronicle of the Ancient Peoples of Central America & Mexico – Including the Aztec, Maya, Olmec, Mixtec, Toltec & Zapotec" 2015.
  18. ^ Ortiz de Montellano, Bernard. (1975). Empirical Aztec Medicine. Science. 188. 215-20. 10.1126/science.1090996.
  19. ^ "The Prehispanic Computer? The Nepohualtzintzin". Chispa Magazine. September 1986.
  20. ^ [2]. Manufacturing: A Historiographical and Bibliographical Guide. Retrieved February 2015.
  21. ^ Halber, Deborah (July 14, 1999), Rubber processed in ancient Mesoamerica, MIT researchers find, MIT News
  22. ^ [3]. Top 5 Ancient Aztec Inventions. Retrieved February 2015.
  23. ^ Kramer, Miriam (January 2013). "Ancient Maya Predicted 1991 Solar Eclipse". Live Science.
  24. ^ Terry (1909), p. 506.
  25. ^ "Alternative Road Design: Here's How a Continuous Flow Intersection WorksIntersection". August 9, 2016.
  26. ^ Encyclopedia of the American West. Retrieved February 2015.
  27. ^ "CRT Cursor Control Mechanism Pad". Xerox Disclosure Journal. November–December 1979. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  28. ^ Lawrence, E. O., McMillan, E. M., & Alvarez, L. W. (1960). Electronuclear Reactor (No. US 2933442).
  29. ^ "What's behind Mexico's indelible ink?". euronews. 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  30. ^ [4].Chronicles of Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Manuel Villagómez, TIA and Tortilla Topics
  31. ^ [5] CONACYT informe
  32. ^ [6]. Vision learning
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