
Originally Posted by
Aucald
Mayan and Aztec city-states couldn't be as grandiose or far-reaching as European cities due to the lack of draft animals and logistical technology, which again boils down to luck of the draw with Europe being relatively flush with animals able to be domesticated and the Americas having little to no such stock animals available. But again, technology and engineering aren't on a single scale - where they lacked in one discipline they excelled in others, as you mentioned with astronomy, mathematics, art, and civil engineering. Supporting a population of 200,000+ people in a metropolis amidst barely arable land is itself a feat in civilization and engineering. Mesoamerican architecture also wasn't limited to "just pyramids," but also advanced ziggurats, sprawling courts, temple complexes, and walled gardens. Cortes himself spoke of the elegance of the Aztec structures he encountered: "... that the temples of Tenochtitlan were higher than the cathedral in Spain," and that Montezuma lived in a palace so marvelous that "it seems to me impossible to describe its excellence and grandeur... in Spain, there is nothing to compare to it." The Mayans and Aztecs also used architectural technology beyond ancient Greece, including multi-tiered colonnades, in their more important and impressive structures.
Mineral wealth is also down to luck for the European civilizations, the areas where the Mayans and Aztecs flourished were mineral poor in general, and so it's quite understandable that they had little knowledge of or experience with metalworking. The invading conquistadors, even with their metal armor and firearms, feared the Aztec macuahuitl, as it could rend through metal armor easily and expose soldiers to ranged fire (often in the form of poisoned darts, spears, and arrows). Many macuahuitls were sent back to Europe for study, given the weapon's well-deserved notoriety.
Gunpowder traces its lineage to China, where it was invented. The Europeans didn't invent it, nor was it well understood from a technological standpoint at that time in history - they traded for it, or simply stole it, when and where they could.