Terrain and logistics prevented Mesoamerican empires from developing siege weapons

Evidence

The history of human fortifications is a boring one in most regions, marked by relatively little change. Most armies could not sustain the cost and logistics required for mounting effective siege attacks in far-off lands and, even when armies were large enough, the landscape sometimes got in the way. Thousand-foot precipices and spectacular gorges made approaches to Andean cities impractical, while swamps and vast tropical forests hindered movements in Mesoamerica. Wheeled towers and catapults weren’t practical in these environs and, despite having the requisite wealth, forces, and political organization, the Incan, Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec empires never incorporated siege weapons into their military strategies. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 511

Categorization

• QUESTION: Why did no empire anywhere, despite wealth and organization, innovate siege tech in these environments?
• XREF: Parallels the diffusion-triggered arms-race argument from earlier chapters on ecology limiting weapon escalation. — connects to: Physical constraints capped ancient galley size like they limit animal weapons — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 262; Absent siege threats, defensive walls stagnated for seven thousand years — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 512; Warfare-focused Mayan cities like La Milpa lacked heavy fortifications — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 510

Related

• Warfare-focused Mayan cities like La Milpa lacked heavy fortifications (similarity 0.87)
• Absent siege threats, defensive walls stagnated for seven thousand years (similarity 0.87)
• Ancient siege warfare succeeded only for the richest armies due to enormous logistical costs. (similarity 0.80)
• Pushing siege weapons to longer range only drove artillery growth (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Warfare-focused Mayan cities like La Milpa lacked heavy fortifications #corroborates (0.60) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 510