Ceremonial knife

Description

obsidian, sharply ground all round,

The obsidian, which was difficult to obtain, came from volcanic soils in the Sierra Madre of Mexico and Guatemala and was traded across hundreds of kilometres.

With a deer antler or a small hammerstone, the material was struck into particularly sharp-edged blades that were used for human sacrifice ceremonies and ceremonies of ritual bloodletting.

Notices

This object is subject to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Protection Act. Export documents are required for export (subjected to a fee).