South American Science
With different natural resources available to them, the people of South America invented different things than the people of Europe, Asia, or Africa did. One early invention was rubber, which was invented by the Olmec (in fact the word "Olmec" means "rubber people" in the Aztec language, Nahuatl). The Olmec began to make rubber about 1600 BC, even before they had formed their first state government. People got latex from the sap of a tree that grew in their area, and they mixed it with the juice of a local vine to make rubber. One thing that they used this rubber for was to make rubber balls for a popular ball game.
The Olmec also seem to have used zero as a place marker for numbers, perhaps as early as 400 BC. This would be earlier than the first use of zero in India, but the Indian mathematicians didn't learn about zero from the Olmec. The Olmec do not seem to have used zero to figure out new mathematical theories, as Indian mathematicians did.
Maya people, about 500 AD, also used another kind of sticky sap called chicle as chewing gum. This is where the name Chicklets comes from for one brand of American chewing gum.
The Aztec also invented paper, which was made out of agave plant fiber, and parchment (they used deerskin).
To find out more about South American science, check out these books from Amazon or from your library:
Why did people want to punch Socrates?
Where did Egyptians bury your liver?
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What does a half-timbered house look like?
How do you spin wool?
(a project)
South America after 1500
AD
North America before 1500
AD
North America after 1500
AD
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