Knives

Obsidian was one of the main raw materials of Mesoamerica and perhaps the one with the most strategic value. This volcanic glass was found in abundance in different, but not very numerous, deposits. The main ones among them were Zempoala and Pachuca (valley of Mexico), in Zinapecuaro (Michoacan) in Matacapan (Gulf) and in Guatemala. The control of deposits and distribution of obsidian appears to have been part of the imperial strategy of the large states, such as Teotihuacan and the Mexica. Obsidian was essential for the production of knives and was also one of the materials used to make spear and arrow tips, as well as knives.

Obsidian knives had extraordinary sharpness, similar or superior to that of modern razor blades. That sharpness was not obtained by polishing the edges but naturally, so to speak. The knives emerge from a core by a blow to their base. Although the shape and dimensions of the blades was controlled by the size of the core and percussion technique, each knife was a sliver of glass, and therefore very sharp.

The knives were used for tasks like cutting fruit and preparing animals, starting with the cutting of the skin. They were used in the process of sectioning and butchering animals, and also for sacrificial victims. In the manufacture of weapons, knives were placed on the outer edge of pallets or wooden "swords" and also on the wooden tips of some spears. The edge on these weapons was so keen that it obliged the Spanish conquistadors to use the same pressed cotton vests worn by the Indians to protect themselves. Obsidian blades were also used by priests to make certain cuts and punctures to bleed different parts of the body as part of their rituals.