Mexican inventions and discoveries are objects, processes or techniques invented or discovered, partially or entirely, by a person fromMexico. These also include concepts or practices introduced byMexican people and their indigenous ancestors. Some of the objects, processes or techniques developed in thePre-Columbian era were also invented or discovered independently in other cultures. This list shows only inventions and discoveries first introduced in present-day Mexican territory, or those that vary significantly in concept, figure, or use.

• Tlapitzalli
• Ocarina
• Teponaztli
• Huehuetl
• Hom
• Carimba
• flute

• Painting –Classic period Maya paintings, found in the archaeological sites ofCacaxtla andBonampak, are some of the most refined paintings ever to come out of the ancient Americas. Besides the Maya, other indigenous civilizations were also known for their wall paintings, including the Aztec, who developed the art ofsand painting.
• Pottery – many indigenous American cultures and peoples independently invented and then refinedpottery in the Americas into fine works of art, as well for utilitarian usage. The Moche and Maya were some of the best potters from the ancient Americas, and their work still inspires awe amongst us for the level of artistry, creativity, and sophistication, which such highly prized works of arts involved. Many other indigenous American cultures also developed their own pottery styles during the pre-Columbian time periods and continued to refine their artwork into the modern era.
• Maya blue

• Xiuhpōhualli:One of several calendars used by the Aztec, it consisted of 365 days and held great importance for religious rituals and agricultural practices.
• Mesoamerican calendars

• Almanacs –

The earliest texts considered to be almanacs have been found in the Near East, dating back to the middle of the second millennium BC. But almanacs were invented independently by theMaya peoples. Their culture arose, and presumably began using almanacs, around 3,500 years ago, while Europeans are known to have created written almanacs only after 1150 CE. Almanacs are books containing meteorological and astronomical information, which the Maya used in various aspects of their life.^[1]

• Aqueducts:TheAztecs constructed complex, dual-pipe aqueducts to supply their vast city ofTenochtitlan.
• Canals:the Aztecs constructed great canals used for transporting food, cargo, and relaying people to the chinampas (floating gardens used for growing food) in their great metropolis of Tenochtitlan.^[2]
• Causeway:the Aztec built many giant causeways that connected the mainland to their capital city of Tenochtitlan, located in the heart of theAztec Empire. The causeways served as arteries used for transporting food, goods, people, captive warriors, and wastes during the heyday of the Aztec Empire in the 14th century to the 16th century.^[3]
• Dams – the Aztec in Tenochtitlan constructed great dams during the heyday of the Aztec Empire. Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire, was first built on a small island that was located in the western section ofLake Texcoco in 1325 CE. The Aztec created various large artificial islands around the small island using a system that was similar to building the chinampas (floating gardens in the lake that was used to grow food for the cities' population). To provide drinking water to the cities' population of over a quarter of a million inhabitants, the Aztec built a system of dams that separated the salty waters of the lake from the rainwater that was accumulated during periods of heavy rains. The Aztec also used the dam to control the level of water in the lake and prevent their city from being flooded during times of heavy rains. To prevent flooding, the Aztec constructed an inner system of channels that helped to control the water level and held the level steady during flooding and periods of intense rains.Hernán Cortés, and the other Spanishconquistadors, destroyed these engineering marvels that the Aztec had developed during the previous 200 years.^[4]
• Palaces:indigenous American civilizations such as the Olmecs, Mayans,Zapotecs, Aztecs,Mixtecs, Moche,Toltecs, Inca,Chimú, Nazca and many more built elaborate palaces. The Mayan palace inPalenque is one of the best examples of Mayan palace architecture.

• Pyramids:advanced civilizations in Mexico, such as the Toltecs, Olmecs, Zapotecs, Aztecs, Mayans, Mixtecs, developed their own myriadstyles of pyramids, usuallystep pyramid, which served for ceremonial/religious and administrative functions. In Mesoamerica, the largest pyramid in the world—The Great Pyramid of Cholula—began to be constructed by the inhabitants ofCholula in the 3rd century BCE. In the Andean regions, the Moches, and some ancient Peruvians also constructed gigantic pyramids as well without any influence from Old World civilizations.
• Planned city construction:Ancient cities in Mexico–such asTeotihuacan and the Aztec capital ofTenochtitlan–incorporated planned city design, including streets laid out in a grid pattern.

• Plumbing:The Maya have been found to be the earliest inventors of plumbing in Mesoamerica, with the earliest example of a pressurized water system being constructed in 750 CE—or earlier. This pressurized water system was located in the Maya site ofPalenque, where public baths and toilets were accessible to the residents of the ancient city.^[5]
• Wheel and axle:Mesoamericans invented wheels but only used these as toys. The oldest wheeled figure to have been uncovered in Mesoamerica is a crowned, dog-like figure inTres Zapotes, Veracruz, dated ca. 100–200 CE. The most common examples of the Mesoamerican wheel and axle are Aztec clay wheeled toys.^[6]

• Observatories:Mesoamerican astronomers constructed towers to observe the movements of the planets and other astronomical features and events. Although culture groups throughout the world have observed the planets and stars and recorded their movements, the stone structures of the Mesoamerican and Andean culture groups are significant because they show the emphasis these early astronomers placed on making clear and accurate observations. The most notable example of Maya astronomical observatories isCaracol, inChichén Itzá. In 1975, archaeoastronomersAnthony F. Aveni andHorst Hartung surveyed the site and suggested that ancient Maya astronomers used the structure to observe the planet Venus. The Maya, as well as other Mesoamerican culture groups, used Venus to set times for ceremonies and as a divination tool.^[7]

• Metallurgy in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica:The emergence ofmetallurgy in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica occurred relatively late in the region's history, with distinctive works of metal apparent inWest Mexico by roughly AD 800, and perhaps as early as AD 600.^[8] Metallurgical techniques likely diffused northward from regions inCentral orSouth America viamaritimetrade routes; recipients of these metallurgical technologies apparently exploited a wide range of material, includingalloys ofcopper-silver, copper-arsenic, copper-tin and copper-arsenic-tin.^[9]

TheOlmec may have developed compasses for navigation and astronomical study that were made out oflodestones.

• Patolli
• Balloons: Invented by theOlmec.^[10]
• Spinning top: Known fromMesoamerican times. A device used as a toy and made out of wood.^[11]

• Nixtamalization
• Salsa
• Tomato sauce
• taco
• Pozole
• Burrito
• Atole
• tortillas
• Tostada
• Pozol
• tamales
• Nopales
• Tlacoyo
• Chapulines
• Popcorn: First invented by theZapotec and later introduced toHernán Cortés by theAztec^[12]
• Guacamole: The name comes from an Aztec dialect via Nahuatl āhuacamolli [aːwakaˈmolːi], which literally translates toavocado puree.
• Chocolate: Believed to have been invented by theOlmec fromcocoa beans, both the Mayan and the Aztec drank it hot, thus creating thehot chocolate.

• Molcajete
• Metate
• Comal
• Molinillo
• Tortilla press
• Petate

• Chia seed

• Guava
• Rubus
• Sweet potato (possibly)
• Papaya
• Cocoa bean
• sunflower seed
• Squash
• Beans
• Pachyrhizus erosus

• Avocado
• Chaya
• Chili pepper
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Yuca
• Corn: First cultivated by the Olmec and Maya.

• Vanilla: theTotonac are believed to had been the first toextract vanilla from the pods of vanilla orchids and use it as a flavor enhancer.^[13]
• Cotton
• Sisal production invented by the Maya.
• Tobacco
• Bottle gourds – theancient Mexicans learned to first cultivate bottle gourds around 8,000 BCE. Indigenous peoples grew bottle gourds for use as bowls, scoops, colanders, ladles, spoons, canteens, and dippers. Larger gourds were used as cooking vessels.^[14]
• Chinampa: Invented in central Mexico around 600 CE

• Turkey (bird):Approximately 2,000 years ago, ancient Mesoamericans domesticated the turkey during the Late Preclassic period—from 300 BCE to 100 CE.^[15]

• Huipil
• Umbrellas:independent of the ancient Chinese (who had also invented the umbrellas on their own), the Maya and the Inca had invented circular umbrellas, which were made from bird feathers.^[16]
• Hand Fan:The Aztecs developed circular handheld fans made of feathers and other materials that served as a status symbol, and were used for warfare activities.

• xochiocoyotl (coyote),xoloitzcuintli (known as xolo orMexican hairless),
• chihuahua

• Bulletproof vest:Ichcahuipilli, was a military armor used by various Mesoamerican cultures. It consisted of a layered cotton shirt, at least 2 inches thick, hardened withbrine and other substances. It was originally intended to protect the wearer against projectiles and other weaponry, such as spears, arrows, and obsidian swords, but later was discovered to be capable of stopping musket shots.^[17]

• Tooth transplantion: First practiced by the Maya.

• Antispasmodic medication, invented by the Aztecs.
• Ephedra:the Aztecs used ephedra in order to treat common colds. Unlike the Chinese version of the ephedra, theNew World ephedra that was used by the indigenous Americans contained milderalkaloids.
• Antibiotics: The Aztecs developed antibiotic treatments by cultivating fungi on tortillas.

• Number0, invented by the Maya or possibly the Olmec.

• The ancient Mexicans also developed complex arithmetic functions and operations such as additions, subtractions, divisions, and multiplications. The development of mathematics by the Mexicans assisted them in making sense of the universe, cosmos, astronomy, architecture, and pre-Columbian calendars that were so essential in maintaining a connection between them and the gods and heavens.
• Abacus – TheAztec andMaya ofMesoamerica performed arithmetic operations using an abacus. It served as a more accurate and faster alternative to a written solution or relying on memory. Archaeologists have recorded the Mesoamerican abacus, orNepohualtzintzin, as being present in Mesoamerica from at least between 900 and 1000 CE.^[19]

• Rubber ball: Before 1600 BCE by theOlmec for uncertain purposes and later used by theMayan and Aztec for ball games.
• Mesoamerican ballgame: Played differently by the Mayan and the Aztec, it is believed to be one of the first ball games, if not the first.
• Pelota purépecha
• Pelota mixteca
• Xhupa Porrazo: A form of wrestling and martial arts training developed by theZapotec people. It is still practiced today mainly inOaxaca Mexico.
• Boxing: The Maya practiced a form boxing in which they woreconch shells as gloves and wooden helmets.
• Gladiatorial combat: The Aztecs practiced a form of gladiatorial rite that served as an spectator sport and holy ritual.

• Chewing gum ancient Aztecs used chile as a base for making a gum-like substance and to stick objects together in everyday use. Women, in particular, used this type of gum as a mouth freshener.
• Tobacco smoking^[20]
• Smoking pipe:indigenous Americans invented the smoking pipe and in particular theceremonial pipe a type oftobacco pipe. This was an unknown concept to Europeans and the idea was adopted by them and was shortly thereafter brought to the Chinese.

• Processing ofrubber latex as rubber: Althoughvulcanization with heat or sulfur was neither known nor practised, mesoamerican peoples used the juice of themorning glory vine to similarly cross-link raw rubber and make it usable.^[21]

• Universal education: The Aztecs were the first civilization known to have introduced compulsory education for both boys and girls.^[22]
• Writing system:Many indigenous American cultures, such as the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Zapotec, and Toltec, developedwriting systems.

• Tianguis: the open air market, considered to have been a direct influence on today's flea market.

• Pulque
• Agave wine – This wine is made from the same plant,blue agave, as istequila, but with a loweralcohol content.

• Sauna: Thetemazcal was the first eversweat lodge, used by many cultures inMesoamerica.

• Mesoamerican cultures, such as theMaya andAztec, were able to accurately predict astronomical events, like eclipses, hundreds of years into the future.^[23]

• Automated cigarette machine: invented byJuan Nepomuceno Adorno in 1846.
• Ballcock: Invented byJosé Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez in 1790.
• Flattop grill: originated in 19th century Mexico and Central America.

• Coinlathe:Developed in 1774 byJosé Damián Ortiz de Castro.
• Real de a 8, also known as "Spanish American peso", "Spanish dollar" or "piece of eight", considered to be the first world currency, which also gave the origin of thedollar or peso sign ($), was a Spanish/Mexican invention, it was first used inNew Spain before being widely used in the wholeAmericas, parts ofEurope and theFar East. It also provided the model for the currency that the United States adopted in 1792 and the larger coins of the new Spanish American republics such as theMexican peso and thePhilippine peso in Southeast Asia.

• Cajeta
• Chile relleno
• Enchilada
• Mole sauce
• Champurrado
• Quesadilla
• Carnitas

• Pirekua
• Corridos
• Ranchera
• Mariachi: originated inGuadalajara.
• Jarabe Tapatío
• Vihuela, a five string musical instrument.

• Mezcal.
• Rompope, an alcoholic beverage made with eggs, milk, and vanilla flavouring, originated in the convents ofPuebla de los Ángeles.
• Tequila.

• Lienzo charro
• Charreada
• Rodeo
• Jaripeo
• Lucha Libre
• Baseball:In 1847, American soldiers played what may have been the first baseball game in Mexico atParque Los Berros inXalapa,Veracruz. A few days after theBattle of Cerro Gordo, they used the "wooden leg captured (by the Fourth Illinois regiment) from GeneralSanta Anna".^[24]

• Sombrero.
• Mexican pink.
• Serape.
• Quechquemitl.

• Hacienda, Spanish/Mexican invention.

• Patio process: For removal of silver from ore.
• Vanadium: Achemical element discovered by Spanish chemistAndrés Manuel del Río.
• Ursolic acid: Discovered by Dr.Leopoldo del Rio de la Losa in 1841.

• Translucent concrete (ILum): developed by studentsJoel Sosa Gutierrez andSergio Galvan in 2005.

• Tridilosa: invented by civil engineerHeberto Castillo.
• Anti-graffiti coating (Deletum 3000): developed in the early 2000s atUNAM’s Applied Physics and Advanced Technology Centre in Querétaro Mexico.
• Earthquake Resistant Foundations: invented by engineer Manuel González Flores in 1945.
• Continuous-flow intersections were first invented by Mexican engineer Francisco Mier.^[25]
• Breakwater (structure): engineerMauricio Porras developed a way to build docks and wave breakers using bags filled with sand or concrete and arranging them in 6' by 19' configurations in 1996. Thus creating a cheaper more material effective way of building these structures.

• Sponge iron reaction (HYL process): created by Hylsa (nowTernium) of Mexico in 1957.
• Solid rain (Lluvia sólida): invented by chemical engineerSergio Jesús Rico Velasco, it consist of a farming additive that cuts down on irrigation needs by employinghydrogel.

• Scorpionantivenom, developed byAlejandro Alagón Cano in 1994.
• Coralmyn, one of several antivenoms created by theInstituto Bioclon

• SynthesizedNorethisterone: This achievement byLuis E. Miramontes allowed the development of the first threeCombined oral contraceptive pill, better known as the "morning after pill". He is sometimes referred to as "the Father of the Pill".

• Dynamic braking:invented byVictor Leaton Ochoa in 1908.
• Jetpack:Invented by pilot & inventorJuan Manuel Lozano Gallegos.

• Hélice Anáhuac (Propeller Anáhuac): invented by engineerJuan Guillermo Villasana López in 1915.
• Villasana Series H (TNCA H)

• Zaragoza Corla
• Trejo pistol
• Obregón pistol
• Mendoza RM2, created byRafael Mendoza Blanco
• Mendoza HM-3
• Mendoza C-1934
• FX-05 Xiuhcoatl rifle
• M1908 rifle: The world's first gas-operatedsemi-automatic rifle. It was used for a short time by the Germans inWorld War I. Invented byManuel Mondragon.
• Saint-Chamond-Mondragón.
• Mexican Mauser Model 1954
• Mexican Mauser Model 1936

• DN-V Bufalo
• Sierra class corvette
• Durango class
• Oaxaca class
• Hydra Technologies Ehécatl
• Hydra Technologies Gavilán
• Oaxaca PE-210A Pegasus

• Quebradita
• Sonido 13: Developed around 1900 byJulián Carrillo, his theories have been used to analyse conscience altering techniques by investigatorRobert Alan Monroe, and even using sound as health treatment.
• Son mexicano
• Banda music
• Guitarrón mexicano
• Guitarra panzona
• Tribal guarachero

• Mexican pointy boots

• Alebrije:invented in the 1930s bycartoneroPedro Linares.

• Flamin' Hot popcorn:invented by then janitorRichard Montañez.
• Fritos: Invented in 1932 by Gustavo Holguín, he sold the recipe for fritos to the company Highland park confectionery for $100.
• Fajita
• Snow cone
• Japanese peanuts: byJapanese immigrant Yoshigei Nakatani in 1945
• Nachos: ByIgnacio Anaya. Nacho is short for Ignacio.
• Caesar salad
• Quesabirria
• Refried beans
• Huarache (food)
• Jarritos

• Maratón board game:invented bySergio Etchart Sabbath in 1985.
• piñata
• Three-card Monte^[26]

• Chamuco (a Mexican word which means "devil") or Mexican Pitbull: The breed was developed in central Mexico in the 1970s.
• Calupoh

• Margarita
• Kahlúa
• Michelada
• Sotol
• Tequila
• Mezcal

• Google (architecture): heavily influenced by the work and research of professorHector Garcia Molina.

• mousepad: invented byArmando M Fernandez.^[27]
• InstaBook: developed in 1997 byVictor Celorio.
• Earlycolor television:Guillermo González Camarena made one of the earliest successful color television transmission systems in 1934. Although not the one used today, NASA used it in 1979 for a series of projects includingVoyager 1.
• AcceleGlove: invented byJosé Hernández-Rebollar. It is an electronic glove that translates hand movements from the American Sign Language into spoken and written words.
• GNOME: developed byMiguel de Icaza andFederico Mena.
• X-ray microscope: developed byPaul Kirkpatrick andAlbert Baez.
• Mochila de seguridad (security backpack): developed by primary school studentJuan David Hernandez Rojas in response to the growing violence in his home town ofMatamoros, Tamaulipas, his invention consists of a backpack lined up with bullet proofed material, security lights, an alarm, and a GPS tracking device that can be connected to the wearers' families phones.
• Solid-state melanin battery: developed by scientistArturo Solis Herrera, it consists of a solar battery that does not need to be recharged or reloaded.
• Optical ranked-order filtering using threshold decomposition: developed by Dr.Ellen Ochoa.
• Electronuclear reactor: developed byLuis Walter Alvarez.^[28]

• 3D Robotics: Founded in 2009 byChris Anderson andJordi Muñoz.

• Morelos Satellite System

• SkyAlert: Amobile app that notifies users of possible seismic activity.

• Beelinguapp: An app that teaches languages through story telling.

• Tevi: An app that works as an electronic wallet.

• Padel
• Metallic silhouette shooting
• Frontenis
• Ulama

• Recurso de amparo (Writ of protection) idea, which was fundamental in the creation of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights
• Election ink: Developed byFiliberto Vázquez Dávila.^[29]

• Tortilla machine Created byEverardo Rodríguez Arce andLuis Romero in 1904 and produced 16,000 tortillas a day In 1947.^[30]

• Assisted ventilation orMechanical ventilation device (Gätsi ventilator) developed by Dydetec in 2020 to cope in theCOVID-19 pandemic^[31]
• EVA bra: Developed in 2017 by studentJulian Rios Cantu atMonterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.
• Probionics S.A. de C.V: founded in 2008 byLuis Armando Bravo Castillo, his company produces prosthetic limbs at %90 less cost than other companies.
• VITACOR UVAD artificial heart: Developed by Dr.Emilio Sacristan Rock.
• Method for predicting fetal membrane rupture based onpro-matrix metalloproteinase-9 (pro-mmp-9): Developed by BiochemistFelipe Vadillo-Ortega.
• Diagnostic methods to detect invasiveamoebiasis: Developed by Dr.María del Socorro Flores González.
• Catalytic nanomedicine: A new field in antitumor treatment using supported platinumnanoparticles:Developed by solid-state chemistTessy María López Goerne.
• Typhus vaccine: Developed by Dr. Maximiliano Ruiz Castañeda in 1940.

• Alcubierre drive a theory in which a spacecraft could achieve possiblefaster-than-light travel Proposed by Mexican theoretical physicistMiguel Alcubierre.
• Mexianthus: One of many plant species discovered and classified by botanistYnes Mexia.
• Intensity ofcosmic rays related to latitude and Earth's magnetic field:Discovered by Dr.Manuel Sandoval Vallarta and physicistGeorges Lemaître.
• Herbig–Haro objects, discovered by MexicanGuillermo Haro and AmericanGeorge Herbig
• Ozone depletion:Mario J. Molina together withF. Sherwood Rowland discovered theCFCs role in the Ozone hole. They were awarded theNobel Prize in Chemistry.
• Vanadium: discovered in 1801 byAndres Manuel del Rio
• Birth control pill Developed byLuis E. Miramontes in Tepic, Mexico in 1951.^[32]
• Labocania,Huehuecanauhtlus,Acantholipan.

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