Macuahuitl (obsidian-edged sword)

Timeline

1. c. 1428–1520Tenochtitlan · Valley of MexicoThe macuahuitl had a hardwood shaft with obsidian blades fixed on both sides with pitch or tree gum, in single- and two-handed models. Aztec warriors commonly used it in capture warfare and imperial expansion; its cutting effect depended on the extreme sharpness but brittleness of obsidian.
2. 1520–1521Valley of Mexico · MexicoDuring the Night of Sorrows in 1520 and the siege of Tenochtitlan in 1521, Aztec and allied warriors used the macuahuitl together with throwing spears and slings against Spanish cavalry and firearms. Chronicles record it splitting horse bellies and severing limbs, but it offered little protection against iron armor and pike formations, and the obsidian blades were fragile.
3. 1522–1530New Spain · MexicoAfter the collapse of the Aztec military system, the macuahuitl quickly ceased to be a practical weapon, with only a few surviving as tribute or trophies confiscated by colonial authorities. Surviving examples are extremely rare, and knowledge of its form relies mainly on Spanish documents and archaeological reconstructions.