Making a Replica of an Ancient Aztec Weapon, the Macuahuitl

The macuahuitl was the iconic weapon of the Aztec warriors. At first glance, it looked like a wooden sword. But along its edges, sharp obsidian blades were set into grooves, creating one of the deadliest cutting edges in the ancient world. Obsidian, volcanic glass, could be sharper than steel — sharp enough, Spanish soldiers said, to decapitate a man or even a horse in a single blow. Unlike European swords, the macuahuitl was not made for stabbing, but for slashing and disabling enemies. In Azte