Macuahuitl

Macuahuitl
A modern recreation of two ceremonial macuahuitl based on codices.
Type	Club
Place of origin	Mexico
Service history
In service	Formative stage to Post-Classic stage (900 BCE–AD 1570)
Used by	Mesoamerican civilizations, including Aztecs Indian auxiliaries of Spain[1]
Wars	Aztec expansionism, Mesoamerican wars Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
Specifications
Mass	2.0–3.0 kg (4.4–6.6 lb)
Length	90–120 cm (35–47 in)
Blade type	Straight, thick, double-edged, tapered
Hilt type	Double-handed swept
Scabbard/sheath	Unknown
Head type	Trapezoidal
Haft type	Straight, wood covered by leather

A macuahuitl ([maːˈkʷawit͡ɬ]) is a weapon, a wooden club with several embedded obsidian blades. The name is derived from the Nahuatl language and means "hand-wood".^[2] Its sides are embedded with prismatic blades traditionally made from obsidian. Obsidian is capable of producing an edge sharper than high quality steel razor blades. The macuahuitl was a standard close combat weapon.

Use of the macuahuitl as a weapon is attested from the first millennium CE, although specimens can be found in art dating to at least pre-classic times.^[3] By the time of the Spanish conquest the macuahuitl was widely distributed in Mesoamerica. The weapon was used by different civilisations including the Aztec (Mexicas), Olmec, Maya, Mixtec, Toltec, and Tarascans.

One example of this weapon survived the Conquest of the Aztec Empire; it was part of the Royal Armoury of Madrid until it was destroyed by a fire in 1884. Images of the original designs survive in diverse catalogues. The oldest replica is the macuahuitl created by the medievalist Achille Jubinal in the 19th century.