← Explore on the interactive map

Obsidian Blades

Type Object Region Mesoamerica Time c. -1500–1521

Obsidian blades are Mesoamerican edged tools made by knapping or grinding volcanic obsidian from Pachuca, Otumba, and other sources, widely used in h…

Timeline

  1. c. -500–900Teotihuacan and the Valley of Mexico · State of MexicoFrom Teotihuacan to the early Toltec stage, obsidian knapping technology was highly mature; artisans could detach extremely thin flakes and set them into wooden handles, forming diverse forms such as spearheads, scrapers, and sacrificial knives, which spread far through trade to the Maya lowlands.
  2. 1041–1050Tula and the Pachuca mining district · HidalgoIn the 1040s and 1050s, Toltec warrior elites made extensive use of large obsidian blades (the stone precursor of macuahuitl-type weapons) and prismatic blades, serving both practical and symbolic functions in Tula's rituals and military drills; the Pachuca mining district was the main source of raw material for this period.
  3. c. 1100–1400Chichen Itza and the Yucatan · Yucatan PeninsulaAround the decline of the Toltecs, obsidian blade craftsmanship and the warrior blade tradition spread to northern Maya city-states such as Chichen Itza, becoming common grave goods in sacrificial rituals and elite tombs; obsidian trade routes connected highlands and lowlands.

Sources