Aztec math decoded, reveals woes of ancient tax time

Aztec mathematicians developed their own specialized arithmetic that included fractional symbols like hearts and hands that likely had a relation to the human body. "I think [the study] is neat because it shows that this sort of math and science was pretty practical in orientation," says Michael Smith, archaeology professor. "We have the idea that ancient societies were dominated by religion. Yeah, religion was important, but they were also very practical people doing very practical things," says Smith.Article source: National Geographic