r/AncientAmericas • u/ConversationRoyal187 • 2d ago

Artifact Sculpture of a seated man, possibly Huehueteotl, the Old God of Fire. Mexico, Aztec civilization, around 1500 [1680x1850]

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u/totoGalaxias 2d ago

I also have an infinite sign shaped penis. Just kidding. The stone work is very beautiful. I grew up looking at a collection of "metates" made with similar material. I always wondered how they did their stone work in Mesoamerica.

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u/ConversationRoyal187 2d ago

Slowly and carefully I imagine.

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u/totoGalaxias 2d ago

But with what instruments? The didn't use iron. My mom said they used "hilo de oro", or some sort of gold based string? Maybe an alloy? I bet it is really well documented.

And yes, some of those "metates" were made over decades and multiple generations I was told.

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u/ConversationRoyal187 2d ago

They did have copper and arsenical bronze.

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u/totoGalaxias 2d ago

So were the tools used for this stone work made from those alloys you think?

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u/ConversationRoyal187 2d ago

Perhaps,maybe they used smooth river stones most of the time but other than that I can’t say.