How sharp was an Aztec sword?

Obsidian is capable of producing an edge sharper than high quality steel razor blades. The macuahuitl was a standard close combat weapon….

Did the Aztecs use swords?

The Fearsome Close-Quarter Combat Weapon of the Aztecs The macuahuitl (alternately spelled maquahuitl and in the Taino language known as the macana) is arguably the best-known piece of weaponry used by the Aztecs.

What was the best Aztec weapon?

atlatl
The best known long-range Aztec weapon was the atlatl or dart-thrower (pic 1) with a range of up to 150 metres. It was first used in ancient times in North America as a hunting tool.

How effective is a Macuahuitl?

When used in battle, the macuahuitl was sharp enough to decapitate man and horse. There are many accounts of their effectiveness in battle from numerous Spanish conquistadors, of which many speak of their ability to rend the head from men, the entrails from horses, and in one account, the head from a prize mare.

How did Aztecs cut obsidian?

Aztec swords were made with rows of small obsidian teeth. They were murderous weapons for cutting an enemy. Now we find that being cut with obsidian is less painful than you’d think, because it makes such a sharp edge. So obsidian became woven into Aztec worship as well as Aztec function.

How were Aztec weapons made?

Aztec warriors and hunters carried slings made of maguey cactus fiber. The warriors collected rocks as they marched. They also made clay balls spiked with obsidian and full of obsidian flakes.

Did the Aztec use bows?

The Aztecs bow and arrow was called a tlahhuitolli. It was similar to most bow and arrows and Aztec warriors would carry a quiver full of about 20 arrows. Like spears, the Aztec tlahhuitolli were tipped with obsidian.

How sharp are obsidian blades?

Obsidian – a type of volcanic glass – can produce cutting edges many times finer than even the best steel scalpels. At 30 angstroms – a unit of measurement equal to one hundred millionth of a centimeter – an obsidian scalpel can rival diamond in the fineness of its edge.

How did the Aztecs make their weapons so sharp?

The Aztecs quarried their own obsidian, which was a material that could be manipulated into some of the sharpest tools and weapons known to man. Factories were established to refine the obsidian into small, sharp blades so that it could be inserted into the macuahuitl in a process called “knapping”.

Was the macuahuitl an Aztec sword or stick?

Aztec “Sword” or Stick? The macuahuitl wasn’t really a sword, being neither of metal nor curved–the weapon was a sort of wooden staff similar in shape to a cricket bat but with sharp cutting edges. Macuahuitl is a Nahua (Aztec language) term which means “Hand stick or wood”; the closest similar European weapon might be a broadsword.

How sharp were Spanish blades?

They were extremely sharp and sometimes over 7 feet long. They didn’t have small points as many spears would, but a blade thats a foot long made of smaller stone blades. These weapons were used to pierce the spanish armour, and were sharp enough the warriors could use them to shave.

Did the Spanish really chop off horses heads?

Several of the Spanish chroniclers such as Bernal Diaz described macana attacks on horsemen, in which the horses were nearly beheaded. Experimental studies attempting to reconstruct the Spanish claims of horse’s heads being chopped off were conducted by Mexican archaeology Alfonso A. Garduño Arzave (2009).