The big cities of the past are the foundations of many current cities. And a perfect example of this is Mexico City. In pre -Columbian era the territory that now occupies was dominated by two prosperous cities: Tlatelolco and Tenochtitlan. They were the so -called ‘twin cities’, and something they had in common was a Powerful and developed channel systeman advanced hydraulic and, above all, a domain of waters thanks to nautical technology.
This technology was underestimated by the Spanish invaders and led the Mexica to the maximum audacity: face their canoes against the elderly and well armed Spanish brigs.
Tlatelolco and Tenochtitlan. To talk about this story, we must understand the situation of the cities. Tenochtitlan was founded in 1325 by the Mexica. Was “The American Venice”, But the Tenochcas and the Tlatelolcas separated and, near there, founded Tlatelolco.
Each had their culture, but there were elements that shared, as a strategic location to be isolated and protected naturally by lakes. The way the two societies had contact with the outside, and they had it, was through a sophisticated Ports and channel system.
Channels. In recent years we have learned more about this channel system, when finding ports and new ‘streets’ that allowed both Tenochcas and Tlatelolcas to have an exit to the sea. This favored trade with other cultures, as well as a accelerated nautical developmentbecause its subsistence depended on this technology.
Two canoe models. It was something that caught attention, because Asian and European civilizations are known for their maritime history, not the Mesoamerican. However, that need was what allowed The rapid lake development of the Mexica, having Two types of boats as a banner for civil, commercial and military activities.
On the one hand, the rafts. They were built through the use of flat surfaces that could float. The most common thing was to use thin trunks that joined each other with natural fiber networks. They served to float, transport people and goods … and you couldn’t ask for much more. It is the image of ‘raft’ that we all have in our heads, go.
Monoxila Canoa Example
The second guy was a monoxy canoe. These were directly carved into a tree trunk, using fire to facilitate the process of ahuecamiento and, in addition, the bow had an sharp shape that allowed not only a higher speed, but an advanced maneuverability. They had about eight oars and surprised the Spaniards thanks a very intelligent mexic maneuver.
Chapopote. The monoxilated canoes were made by trunks of Ahuehuete, Ceiba or Pino and, once carved and hardened thanks to the fire, they were smeared with an oil residue known as Chapopote/Chapaote. This caused the canoes to move like fish in the water, since they were waterproof and improved their benefits in the waters.
So much that surprisedeven to the Spaniards. “They are not ships that depart a lot from land, because as they are low, they cannot suffer large sea. And with all that they are safer these canoes than our boats and canoes even if they flood and swell with water, they do not go to the ground or sink, and remain oversupply. No boat walks as much as the canoe, although the canoe goes with eight oars and the boat with twelve, ”wrote the Spanish Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedopraising these canoes.
And an example of bergantin
Canoas vs bergantines. Some of the canoes discovered They measure about six meters long and are 61 centimeters wide and used to, among other things, fight against Spanish ships. Less than 200 years after the foundation of both cities, the Spaniards attacked with the intention of appropriating them. They were besieged and the channels were key so that the Mexicans could supply during that period.
Using the canoes, they could introduce goods, but they also led them to battle. Its little draft and high maneuverability allowed the Mexicans to tend to the Spaniards, but when the situation was less conducive because it fought in more open waters, no matter how much technology they had, they remained canoes from which the crew launched arrows and stones at much larger ships armed with cannons and strongly defended. In it Tenochtitlan final site 400 war canoes participated in front of 13 brigs. 300 were Sunkbut there are those who point out that, throughout the conflict, Thousands of canoes They were used.
Both Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco They fell In 1521, so the naval cunning and expertise of the Mexicans could not against the brute and upper strength Spanish technology. Even so, the Spaniards would underestimate the canoes and their technology, the one that surprised Fernández de Oviedo and that allowed through the skirmishes and the movement of goods that the cities resisted the siege for a few months before claudicar.
Images | INAH, History of the Indies of New Spain and islands of the mainland, CPFG (SP) Mariano Sánchez Bravo
