ANTH 1145 1st Edition Lecture 19 How did Aztecs do Math Symbolize numbers through dots and bars They use the base of 20 instead of 10 like we do o But it is still the same idea Start at the bottom and go up when count Bars 5 and Dots 1 Represent with dots up to number 4 Practical mathematics o The human body is the measure of all man made things and all the practices we do Practice express everything through our body Cemmatl 1 brazada Width from fingertip to fingertip with arms fully extended about 6 feet Cemmitl Width from tip of elbow to fingertip of opposite arm fully extended about 4 5 feet Represented by arrow Cenyollotli width from sternum to fingertip of one arm fully extended about 3 feet Cenciacatl Width of single arm fully extended from armpit to fingertip about 2 feet Cemmolicpiti length from elbow to middle of fingertip about 1 5 feet Omitl length from elbow to wrist about 1 foot Represented by bone o Tlaquahuitl unit and measurement of large tracks of land o Tlaquahuitl wooden earth measuring stick Measurement is used for noble rich peoples house One measuring stick is 2 508m Yollotli 8359m and Omitl 3344m o Commoners houses were extremely small compared to the nobles houses that were massive Taxes o Tax and tribute obligations to calpulli and local lords assigned by the number of plots worked and their surface dimensions and soil quality o Milcocoli shape and perimeter of the lands These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute o Tlahuelmatli squaring of lands o Don t use angles so they only use perimeters for math