How did the Mayans build pyramids without the wheel?

“The Maya did not use the wheel nor draft animals, so they transported the building materials using person-power from the quarries to the building site,” Tulane Professor of Linguistics and Anthropology Judith Maxwell said of the Maya method for transporting heavy materials. Large building blocks were rolled on logs.



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It's certainly possible that it was invented independently other times, but no record has been found. In places isolated from Eurasia and Africa—such as the Americas and Australia, there were no wheels. Native Americans had no draft animals, which was the primary requirement for needing them.

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They followed the movements of the sun, moon, planets and stars, and developed an accurate calendar very similar to our years, months, and weeks. They practiced mathematics (a base-20 system), and independently invented the concept of zero. They developed a system of writing, and kept written records in books.

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For example, to the Greeks the word myriad meant 10,000. The sophisticated Mayan system of math enabled them to develop accurate time measurements (among the most accurate ever developed), erect huge step-pyramids, and control a vast system of trading with neighboring civilizations.

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In short, the Maya came first, and settled in modern-day Mexico. Next, came the Olmecs, who also settled Mexico. They didn't build any major cities, but they were widespread and prosperous. They were followed by the Inca in modern-day Peru, and finally the Aztecs, also in modern-day Mexico.

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