Page 20 - All About History - Issue 54-17

AZTECS

HEADDRESS
THE FEATHERED FRIEND OR FOE

Anatomy The warriors’ headdresses resembled
an eagle’s head with an open beak
of that they could look out of, and were
decorated with the bird’s feathers.
In Aztec mythology, the eagle was a
symbol of the sun, and so the warriors
saw themselves as soldiers of the sun.
EAGLE WARRIOR

CENTRAL MEXICO, 1428-1521
SPEAR

ENGINEERED FOR A POWERFUL THROW
Tipped with razor-sharp obsidian,
spears were a popular long-range
JEWELLERY weapon used by the Aztecs. They were
sometimes thrown using an atlatl, a
device that hooked onto the spear and
A DECORATED SOLDIER WITH BENEFITS acted as a lever, putting more power
behind the weapon so that it could be
Eagle warriors were high-ranking members
thrown at a higher velocity.
of Aztec society and were awarded certain
privileges as a result. For example, they
were given tax-free land, permitted to
keep mistresses, eat human flesh and
allowed to wear fine jewellery that
was not available to the general public.
SHIELD

PAINTED PROTECTION IN BATTLE
Each eagle warrior had a small
round shield called a chimalli,
MACUAHUITL twisted plant fibres. It was carried
which was made from wood and
A DOUBLE-SIDED WEAPON using leather straps and decorated
with colourful painted designs
This popular Aztec weapon was a flat and eagle feathers. Alternatively,
wooden club with blades of volcanic some soldiers used shields made
glass, called obsidian, fixed to the sides. from thick cotton that could be
It allowed warriors to either injure their rolled up while marching.
enemy with the blunt sides so that they
could capture them for sacrifice, or deliver
a more fatal blow with the sharp edges.

ARMOUR

TOUGH TEXTILES THAT KEEP THEIR COOL
Aztec armour, known as ichcahuipilli, was
SANDALS together until it was one or two centimetres
made from quilted cotton and jute blended
thick. It was lightweight and breathable in
FOOTWEAR PRIVILEGES AND the warm Mexican climate, but also strong
LEATHERY LEGS enough to protect against strikes from
obsidian swords, bows and spears.
Regular Aztec citizens were not
permitted to wear cotton or sandals
in the royal palaces, but the eagle
warriors could. In addition to their
leather footwear, they would also
cover their legs with extra strips of
leather, called greaves, during battle
for added protection.
20