Abstract
ABSTRACT Abundant obsidian prismatic blade segments in late (Late Postclassic/Colonial; ca. AD 1300–1700) lowland Maya lithic assemblages, generally ignored, are evaluated against the possibility that they were used in macanas, broadsword-like weapons resembling the Aztec macuahuitl, as attested by Spanish chroniclers. Measurements of 4,664 segments, proximal, medial, and distal, from seven sites around the central Peten (Guatemala) lakes, plus Tipu and Santa Rita Corozal (Belize) and Mayapan (Yucatan, Mexico), were analyzed. Segment dimensions are highly variable, both within and between sites, but appear to have had two modal sizes, rectangular (minimally 12 × 8 mm) and smaller and squarish (around 10–12 mm square). Macanas themselves also may have been made in two sizes, small and large. Although it cannot be proven that the segments were used in Maya macanas, the possibility warrants further study.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.