Historian Ian Heath, using evidence gained from the Aztec codices and accounts written by the Spanish Conquistadors, describes the macuahuitl as such: “It comprised a flat hardwood blade 2-4 ins (5-10cm) wide and about 3½ (1 m) long, often decoratively painted, with sharp flakes of obsidian or flint set in grooves along its narrower two edges”. Construction & Usage of the Macuahuitl Aztec Sword & Obsidian Blades The effectiveness of the macuahuitl was nominal if not properly trained in its use. While a commoner could construct the weapon, he would not generally have the opportunity to enter the higher levels of Aztec warrior training available to the elite warrior societies. The macuahuitl, a more precise and deadly weapon, was favored by those who had proven themselves in battle and who had risen to the ranks of the Eagle Warriors or beyond. Clubs, maces and battleaxes were standard hand-to-hand Aztec weapons amongst the core of the Aztec military. The macuahuitl (maquahuitl) was the weapon of choice for many of the members of the Aztec upper classes and elite warrior societies. Macuahuitl – Weapon of Elite Aztec Warriors & the Aztec Upper Classes Obsidian blades, bonded to a wooden body, gave a cutting edge sharper than steel, a fact certainly not lost on the Spanish Conquistadors. Firsthand accounts, however, leave little doubt that the macuahuitl was a fearsome weapon. No original examples exist of this Mesoamerican weapon of war, generally referred to as an Aztec sword. The exact nature of the Aztec macuahuitl (also written as maquahuitl) remains elusive to this day. This one- or two-handed Aztec sword used obsidian blades to devastating effect on the battlefield The macuahuitl (maquahuitl) was arguably the most fearsome Aztec weapon.
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