Macuahuitl
Encyclopedia
The maquahuitl is a weapon
shaped like a wooden sword. Its sides are embedded with prismatic blade
s made from obsidian
, a volcanic glass
stone frequently used for tool making
by the Aztec
and other pre-Columbian
Mesoamerica
n cultures. It was similar to a large wooden club
with cuts in the side to hold the sharpened obsidian.
The maquahuitl ' onMouseout='HidePop("60922")' href="/topics/Orthography">orthographical
variants include maquahutil, macquahuitl and māccuahuitl), a type of macana
, was a common weapon used by the Aztec military forces
and other cultures of central Mexico, that was noted during the 16th century Spanish conquest of the region
. They also used other implements such as the chimalli (a round shield), the tlauitolli (bow
), and the atlatl
(spear-thrower
). It is sometimes referred to as a sword or club, but it lacks a true European equivalent. It was capable of inflicting serious lacerations from the rows of obsidian blades embedded in its sides.
According to one source, the macuahuitl was 3 to 4 ft (0.9144 to 1.2 m) long, and three inches (80 mm) broad, with a groove along either edge, into which sharp-edged pieces of flint or obsidian were inserted, and firmly fixed with some adhesive compound. The rows of obsidian blades were sometimes discontinuous, leaving gaps along the side, while at other times the rows were set close together and formed a single edge.
The macuahuitl was made with either one-handed or two-handed grips, as well as in rectangular, ovoid, or pointed forms. The two-handed macuahuitl has been described “as tall as a man”.
. However, according to ENAH archaeologist Marco Cervera Obregón, there is supposed to be at least one macuahuitl in MNA's warehouse but it is possibly lost.
Several obsidian mines were close to the Aztec civilizations in the Valley of Mexico
as well as in the mountains north of the valley. In a Chichen Itza
carving, a possible ancestor of the macuahuitl is shown as a club having separate blades sticking out from each side. In a mural, a warrior holds a club with many blades on one side and one sharp point on the other, a possible ancestor of the macuahuitl. The macuahuitl was an excellent tool for providing sacrificial victims: the design of the macuahuitl allowed the warrior to injure the opponent with the obsidian blades while the blunt top could be used to render an individual unconscious for easy capture and later sacrifice.
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The maquahuitl was sharp enough to decapitate a man. According to an account by Bernal Diaz del Castillo
, one of Hernán Cortés
’s conquistador
s, it could even decapitate a horse:
The maquahuitl also had some drawbacks. It takes more time to lift and swing a club than it does to thrust with a sword. More space is needed as well, so warriors advanced in loose formations.
No actual maquahuitl specimens remain and the present knowledge of them comes from contemporaneous accounts and illustrations that date to the sixteenth century and earlier.
For SpikeTV's reality show Deadliest Warrior
, a replica was created to test. It was tested against a replica of a horse's head created using a horse's skeleton and ballistics gel. Actor and martial artist Eder Saul Lopez was able to decapitate the model. However, it took three swings. It was most effective when it was swung and then dragged backwards, creating a sawing motion similar to that of the Leiomano
, the Shark Tooth Club, the Maori Warriors used in Season 1.
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
shaped like a wooden sword. Its sides are embedded with prismatic blade
Prismatic blade
In archaeology, a prismatic blade is a long, narrow, specialized lithic flake with parallel margins. Prismatic blades are removed from polyhedral blade cores through pressure reduction. This process results in a very standardized finished tool and waste assemblage...
s made from obsidian
Obsidian
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock.It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth...
, a volcanic glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
stone frequently used for tool making
Obsidian use in Mesoamerica
Obsidian is a naturally formed volcanic glass that was an important part of the material culture of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Obsidian was a highly integrated part of daily and ritual life, and its widespread and varied use may be a significant contributor to Mesoamerica's lack of metallurgy...
by the Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
and other pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
n cultures. It was similar to a large wooden club
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
with cuts in the side to hold the sharpened obsidian.
Description
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
variants include maquahutil, macquahuitl and māccuahuitl), a type of macana
Macana
The term macana, of Taíno origin, refers to various wooden weapons used by the various native cultures of Central and South America.The earliest meaning attributed to macana is a sword-like weapon made out of wood, but still sharp enough to be dangerous...
, was a common weapon used by the Aztec military forces
Aztec army
Aztec warfare concerns the aspects associated with the militaristic conventions, forces, weaponry and strategic expansions conducted by the Late Postclassic Aztec civilizations of Mesoamerica, including particularly the military history of the Aztec Triple Alliance involving the city-states of ...
and other cultures of central Mexico, that was noted during the 16th century Spanish conquest of the region
Spanish conquest of Mexico
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The invasion began in February 1519 and was acclaimed victorious on August 13, 1521, by a coalition army of Spanish conquistadors and Tlaxcalan warriors led by Hernán Cortés...
. They also used other implements such as the chimalli (a round shield), the tlauitolli (bow
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
), and the atlatl
Atlatl
An atlatl or spear-thrower is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart-throwing.It consists of a shaft with a cup or a spur at the end that supports and propels the butt of the dart. The atlatl is held in one hand, gripped near the end farthest from the cup...
(spear-thrower
Spear-thrower
An Atlatl or spear thrower is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in throwing light spears or darts, and includes a bearing surface which allows the user to temporarily store energy during the throw....
). It is sometimes referred to as a sword or club, but it lacks a true European equivalent. It was capable of inflicting serious lacerations from the rows of obsidian blades embedded in its sides.
According to one source, the macuahuitl was 3 to 4 ft (0.9144 to 1.2 m) long, and three inches (80 mm) broad, with a groove along either edge, into which sharp-edged pieces of flint or obsidian were inserted, and firmly fixed with some adhesive compound. The rows of obsidian blades were sometimes discontinuous, leaving gaps along the side, while at other times the rows were set close together and formed a single edge.
The macuahuitl was made with either one-handed or two-handed grips, as well as in rectangular, ovoid, or pointed forms. The two-handed macuahuitl has been described “as tall as a man”.
Specimens
According to Ross Hassig, the last authentic macuahuitl was destroyed in 1884 in a fire in the Armería Real in Madrid, where it was housed beside the last tepoztopilliTepoztopilli
The tepoztopilli was a common front-line weapon of the Aztec military. The tepoztopilli was a pole-arm, and to judge from depictions in various Aztec codices it was roughly the height of a man, with a broad wooden head about twice the length of the users' palm or shorter, edged with razor-sharp...
. However, according to ENAH archaeologist Marco Cervera Obregón, there is supposed to be at least one macuahuitl in MNA's warehouse but it is possibly lost.
Origins and distribution
The maquahuitl predates the Aztecs. Tools made from obsidian fragments were used by some of the earliest Mesoamericans. Obsidian used in ceramic vessels has been found at Aztec sites. Obsidian cutting knives, sickles, scrapers, drills, razors, and arrow points have also been found.Several obsidian mines were close to the Aztec civilizations in the Valley of Mexico
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with the present-day Distrito Federal and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations, including...
as well as in the mountains north of the valley. In a Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Municipality of Tinúm, Yucatán state, present-day Mexico....
carving, a possible ancestor of the macuahuitl is shown as a club having separate blades sticking out from each side. In a mural, a warrior holds a club with many blades on one side and one sharp point on the other, a possible ancestor of the macuahuitl. The macuahuitl was an excellent tool for providing sacrificial victims: the design of the macuahuitl allowed the warrior to injure the opponent with the obsidian blades while the blunt top could be used to render an individual unconscious for easy capture and later sacrifice.
Effectiveness
Bernal Díaz del Castillo
Bernal Díaz del Castillo was a conquistador, who wrote an eyewitness account of the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards for Hernán Cortés, himself serving as a rodelero under Cortés.-Early life:...
, one of Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
’s conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s, it could even decapitate a horse:
Pedro de Moron was a very good horseman, and as he charged with three other horsemen into the ranks of the enemy the Indians seized hold of his lance and he was not able to drag it away, and others gave him cuts with their broadswords, and wounded him badly, and then they slashed at the mare, and cut her head off at the neck so that it hung by the skin, and she fell dead.
The maquahuitl also had some drawbacks. It takes more time to lift and swing a club than it does to thrust with a sword. More space is needed as well, so warriors advanced in loose formations.
No actual maquahuitl specimens remain and the present knowledge of them comes from contemporaneous accounts and illustrations that date to the sixteenth century and earlier.
For SpikeTV's reality show Deadliest Warrior
Deadliest Warrior
Deadliest Warrior is a television program in which information on historical or modern warriors and their weapons are used to determine which of them is the "deadliest" based upon tests performed during each episode...
, a replica was created to test. It was tested against a replica of a horse's head created using a horse's skeleton and ballistics gel. Actor and martial artist Eder Saul Lopez was able to decapitate the model. However, it took three swings. It was most effective when it was swung and then dragged backwards, creating a sawing motion similar to that of the Leiomano
Leiomano
The leiomano is a shark-toothed club used by various Polynesian tribes, but mostly by the native Hawaiians.Leiomano is a word in the Hawaiian language and may have been derived from lei o manō, which means "a shark's lei."...
, the Shark Tooth Club, the Maori Warriors used in Season 1.
External links
- Glimmerdream: obsidian history
- FAMSI: John Pohl's Mesoamerica, Aztec Society/Warfare
- modern-day amateur attempt to produce something similar to a maquahuitl (note, however, that it does not match any of the most thrust-worthy depictions, such as the drawing from Madrid's Real Armería)
