Weapons & Warriors: The Tepoztopilli of the Aztecs

This weapon could be considered a cross between an axe and a spear. Its fat head and razor sharp edges made it possible to slash or chop like a pole-axe, but the pointed tip and long shaft also made it ideal for thrusting like a spear. Although it was enough like a spear to be throwable, the wide head made it less reliable than other ranged weapons used by the Aztecs. Most likely, this was used against charging enemies, before the Aztec infantry drew clubs and Macuahuitl for closer combat.

The Tepoztopilli art by TL Jeffcoat

The length of the entire Tepoztopilli is around 5 to 6 ft (almost 2 meters) and is one solid piece of wood. The head is about a half foot long and edged with obsidian shards. Each obsidian razor was glued into slots with a plant resin. Like the Macuahuitl, the obsidian edges are potentially sharper than a steel razor. One of these shards is sharp enough to shave with. The pieces were spaced out along the head so that after they penetrate the enemy, the sides of the shards could catch and either break off into the body or hook the spear and cause even more damage.

Weapons & Warriors: Aztecs Warriors To Subdue or Not To Subdue

Art by Steven DeVon Jones

The Aztec economy was structured around a religious and militaristic society. The religion had a demand for human sacrifice. Since the war prisoner was a more valuable offering, the Aztec culture leaned heavily towards a militaristic culture. Every member of society was required to go through a basic military training once they reached a certain age. This not only helped keep the borders safe from invaders, it also swelled the number of members of the Aztec army.

The majority of the Aztec army were the common people with just enough training to be organized and deadly. Deadly, however, was not the goal of the army. The expansionist Aztec empire required prisoners for their rituals, so the only way to really get a promotion, was to capture your enemies as opposed to slaying them. This single purpose of the Aztec military made them unique from every military in the world. They conquered their enemies and forced them to provide sacrifices. If they did not hand over the prisoners, the Aztecs would just take them through raids.

Weapons & Warriors: The Atlatl of the Aztecs




This is a relatively simple device to create and use, but was a shock for the more advanced conquistadors who had never seen anything like it. The Atlatl itself is not a weapon, but was used to throw long darts. The darts were the equivalent of a javelin, the main difference in that they were thinner and much more flexible.

The Atlatl is basically a carved piece of wood about eighteen to twenty four inches. One end is either hollowed out into the shape of a cup or a point. This is where the butt end of the dart is placed. The other end is the handle. The dart’s length can vary from four to six feet. The longer the dart the more speed and force upon impact. The dart is tipped with sharpened flint and although it cannot penetrate steel breastplates, it is quite lethal in the hands of a trained and accurate thrower.

The dart is laid across the Atlatl with the handle in the direction of where the warrior wants to throw. When the warrior swings the Atlatl forward like an extension of his arm, the dart bends and then springs from the end of the weapon at a much higher velocity than would be humanly possible if the dart had been thrown by hand. The darts are capable of traveling at over ninety miles an hour. In less than fifty feet away, you still won’t have much time to get out of the way.

Weapons & Warriors: The Macuahuitl of the Aztec

This weapon was also known as the Hungry Wood. At first glance the Macuahuitl looked like a frightening club, but as the conquistadors wrote in their reports after encounters with the Aztec warriors, it was discovered to be the Aztec version of a sword. The obsidian shards that lined each side of the wood was sharp enough to create a sawing style weapon that was capable of removing a man’s head without much more effort than a sword would.

Art by TL Jeffcoat

The Macuahuitl was anywhere from three to four feet in length and about three inches wide and flat. The edges contained grooves where razor sharp pieces of obsidian and flint were fit into and attached with a strong adhesive. There are accounts of a two handed version of this weapon with a longer handle and as long as five and half feet. The rows of obsidian were never consistent from one weapon to the other. Some were lined tightly to create a solid edge while others spaced out the shards and making it appear as jagged teeth.

Weapons & Warriors: The Tecpatl of the Aztec

When you hear about Aztecs, some people often think about human sacrifice. Nobody knows how many sacrifices the Aztecs made a year. There is some speculation, and some accuse Cortés of greatly exaggerating the stories about the human sacrifices. Some other explorers and conquistadors that encountered the Aztec people made no mention in their notes and books of human sacrifice. Archaeologists however have uncovered many things in the ruins that would support the belief that the Aztecs sacrificed humans.

The Jaguar and Eagle Warriors were a major component to this ritual. They did not perform the ritual, but they were the ones who supplied the victims. The tool that was used to cut the heart out of the sacrifice was called the Tecpatl. It is about seven to nine inches in length. The handle is usually carved stone or wood and the blade was a double edged piece of obsidian. This volcanic produced glass is not only very hard, it can be sharper than steel. The Aztecs collected tons of obsidian for making their weapons. The Tecpatl may have been extremely sharp, but obsidian was more susceptible to dulling or cracking after striking something.