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Obsidian Blades

Type Object Region Mexico Time c. -1500–1521

Obsidian blades are Mesoamerican edged tools knapped from volcanic glass, including sacrificial knives (tecpatl), arrowheads, and the macuahuitl war …

Timeline

  1. c. -1500–1325Pachuca–Otumba volcanic belt · HidalgoMesoamerican artisans quarried obsidian cores at volcanic source areas such as Pachuca and Otumba, knapping blades and arrowheads by pressure flaking; the large quantities of obsidian debitage at archaeological sites show this was long a regional supply center for edged tools.
  2. 1381–1390Tenochtitlan · Valley of MexicoIn this period Mexica warriors were equipped with wooden clubs studded with obsidian blades (precursors of the macuahuitl) and stone-tipped arrowheads, while priests used obsidian knives in sacrifices at the Templo Mayor; Tenochtitlan obtained fine Pachuca obsidian through trade and tribute, strengthening its military and ritual capabilities.
  3. 1428–1521Valley of Mexico–Mesoamerican trade network · MexicoAfter the expansion of the Triple Alliance, control of obsidian raw material became a strategic factor; the macuahuitl became the signature weapon of Aztec elite infantry, and obsidian blades also circulated across a wide area of Mesoamerica as tribute and trade goods.

Sources