Tepoztopilli

The tepoztopilli [tepostoːˈpiːlːi] was a common front-line weapon of the Aztec military.

The tepoztopilli was a pole-arm, and to judge from depictions in various Aztec codices it was roughly the height of a man, although historian John Pohl indicates that the weapon used between the 12th and 14th century was made in sizes from 3 to 7 ft (0.91 to 2.13 m) in length.

This made the tepoztopilli vaguely similar to the macuahuitl or "macana", however it had a much smaller cutting edge and a longer handle.

Conquistador Bernal Díaz del Castillo mentions that on one occasion his armour was pierced by an Aztec lance and that only his thick cotton underpadding saved his life.

The last authentic tepoztopilli was destroyed in a fire in 1884 in the Armería Real in Madrid where it was housed.