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Product Description
This is a well-provenanced set of TWO very rare Pre-Columbian West Mexico Shaft-Tomb Culture bifacial atlatl spearheads made of basalt. These came from a very large collection that comprised years of field collecting in the 1950's by Dr. Allen Heflin. Almost all the pieces in that amazing collection were made of obsidian. Less than 5 were made of basalt. While not as sharp as obsidian, when flaked to a thin cutting edge, these projectile points would have been extremely sharp. Basalt is much more difficult to work and these would have only been able to be flaked by a highly skilled ancient craftsperson.
These bifacial atlatl points would have been wrapped and hafted onto an long spear shaft. The both display expert knapping to yield fine symmetry. These atlatl projectile points were found in the Lake Sayula Region of Jalisco, Mexico and come from the famous Dr. Allen Heflin Collection, formed from his work in Mexico from 1946 into the 1970's. Stone projectile points from Pre-Columbian cultures are rarely preserved in this fine condition and are much scarcer than realized.
Intact mineral deposits in micro-crevices are a testament to its age and lack of any modern alterations.
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HISTORY
The Atlatl or Spear (Dart) Thrower was a weapon used to hurl darts called "tlacochtli" with greater force and from greater range than they could be thrown by hand. This weapon was considered by the Aztecs to be suited only for royalty and the most elite warriors in the army, and was usually depicted as being the weapon of the Gods. Murals at Teotihuacan show warriors using this effective weapon and it is characteristic of the Mesoamerican cultures of central Mexico. Warriors at the front lines of the army would carry the atlatl and about three to five throwing darts which they would launch after waves of arrows and sling projectiles as they advanced into battle before engaging into melee combat. The "darts" launched from an Atlatl were more like big arrows about 5.9 feet long. Tipped with obsidian, chert, bone or copper heads.
