Macuahuitl (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The maquahuitl (a name that was derived from the Nahuatl language) is a weapon shaped like a wooden sword. Its sides are embedded with prismatic blades made from obsidian, a volcanic glass stone frequently used for tool making by the Aztec and other pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. It was similar to a large wooden club with cuts in the side to hold the sharpened obsidian.The maquahuitl (Nahuatl: m cuahuitl, other orthographical variants include maquahutil, macquahuitl and m ccuahuitl), 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.