Global InformationTlaximaltepoztli information
| Tepoztli | |
|---|---|
 Bronze axe from Mexica culture in the Codex Laud | |
| Type | Axe |
| Place of origin | Mexico |
| Service history | |
| In service | Pre-classic to Post-Classic period (900–1570) |
| Used by | Aztecs, Mayans, Purépecha, Mixtecs |
| Wars | Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, Aztec expansionism, Mesoamerican Wars |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1.5–3.0 kg (3.3–6.6 lb) |
| Length | 30–45 cm (12–18 in) |
| Blade type | Curved, thick, single-edged, tapered |
| Hilt type | Single-handed swept |
| Scabbard/sheath | unknown |
| Head type | Trapezoidal |
| Haft type | Straight or Curved, of a single metallic piece or wooden |
The tlaximaltepoztli (tlāximaltepoztli; in Nahuatl, tlaximal=carpentry and tepoztli=metal axe) or simply tepoztli was a common weapon used by civilizations from Mesoamerica which was formed by a wooden haft in which the poll of the bronze head was inlaid in a hole in the haft. It was used for war or as a tool. Its use is documented by the Codex Mendoza and the Codex Fejérváry-Mayer. Tax collectors from the Aztec Empire demanded this kind of axe as tribute from the subjugated kingdoms. In Aztec mythology, the tepoztli was used by the god Tepoztécatl, god of fermentation and fertility.[1] In Codex Borgia he is represented with a bronze axe.
- ^ Michael Jordan (2004). Library of Congress (ed.). Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses. EE.UU. p. 309. ISBN 0-8160-5923-3.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)