Understanding Mineraloids This large Apache tear, still in its perlite matrix, shows a pronounced conchoidal fracture pattern. Eye surgeons and neurosurgeons today use obsidian microblades that are sharper even than the finest surgical-steel scalpels. The sharpness of an expertly flaked obsidian edge cannot be overestimated. Because of this razor-sharpness, along with its abundance and workability, it was a vital material in many Stone Age cultures.
The flaked stones in the macuahuitl, which the Spaniards described as “sharper than a blade of Toledo steel”, were made of obsidian.įlaked obsidian has by far the sharpest edge of any natural material. In the words of Bernal Diaz del Castillo, one of Cortez’s soldiers, a macuahuitl in the hands of skilled Aztec warriors could-and occasionally did-completely sever the heads and legs of the Spaniards’ horses. This 4- to 5-foot-long piece of wood, similar in shape to a large broadsword, had a two-handed grip and grooved edges set with pieces of flaked stone. But there was one Aztec obsidian weapon that the Spaniards dreaded-the macuahuitl. When the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortéz confronted the Aztecs in 1519 in what is now Mexico, horses, steel swords, and firearms gave his soldiers a decided military advantage. Power of Flaked Obsidian Pin this post to save this information for later. Obsidian is also a gemstone and an ornamental stone, and it has a rich history and lore-quite a resumé for a material that does not even qualify as a mineral. Obsidian’s ability to take an edge is only one aspect of this remarkable material. These 1-inch Apache tears are surrounded by a mass of gray perlite.
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