By the time of the Conquest, Aztec warfare had become highly ceremonial, focused primarily on the capture of warrior prisoners, rather than direct killing and conquest. A dead body on the battlefield was after all only a corpse but a prisoner could be sacrificed to the gods and was a glory to the capturing warrior. To know the truth of this we needn't rely strictly on Spanish accounts. Aztec weapons have been discovered and, in many cases, these weapons are designed for wounding rather than for killing. An example is the maquahuitl, the Aztec equivalent of a sword. It is a wooden paddle armed with sharpened obsidian. The two-handed version could, indeed, be lethal and, in one case, is reported to have decapitated a horse but it was best used as a slashing, wounding weapon.

Even more obvious is the Aztec slashing spear. This spear has a wooden tip armed, again, with sharpened obsidian. It would have been extremely difficult to kill a man with this weapon. If thrown, it would have been useless. It was therefore a thrusting weapon designed to produce superficial wounds, rendering the enemy target less capable of resisting capture.

Unfortunately for the Aztec peoples, they encountered a European enemy armed with steel weapons. This alien force had no respect for Aztec ceremonial warfare and had no compunction about killing. Amazingly, although the Mexican Conquest lasted for two years, Aztec tactics didn't adjust—at least not in a major way—to the lethal Spanish tactics. Why not? Probably religion. The Aztec gods required human sacrifice and the best victims were warrior captives. Warfare, to the Aztecs, was an act of faith. To annihilate the enemy on the field of battle would have been an act of sacrilege.

At the same time, a very close approach to a massive, dangerous animal might be considered unwise, even stupid. Bison can be extremely aggressive. In Yellowstone Park, bison cause three to four times more injury and death than bears. Not only is the bison potentially aggressive but, unlike most large animals, it can literally turn on a dime. Therefore, an approach from the rear of the animal is not necessarily safe. The animal can still instantly wheel and demolish the hunter.

Nevertheless, in the days before the bow and arrow, Native Americans routinely killed bison, even mammoths, with stone-tipped atlatl darts. How? We can't be absolutely certain but it probably involved intimate knowledge of animal behavior and teamwork. Perhaps some tribesmen distracted the beasts while others went in for the kill.

I don't have the advantage of a tribe of hunters so I'm obliged to take modern precautions. Rather than a stone tip, I intend to use a tip with sharpened steel blades. More importantly, I plan to be backed by a couple of experienced riflemen using heavy caliber weapons. Should the bison attack, he will have to be shot, in which case my atlatl experiment will have failed. Hopefully, however, the bison will be fairly hit and run away from me. I certainly don't expect an instant kill. Follow-up and placement of additional darts will probably be necessary.

When? Not until October 2008, earliest. As I write, it is the end of March and the bison will be starting to lose their thick winter coats. In that I prefer to obtain a first-class buffalo robe, I'll have to wait until next Fall. It will give me plenty of time to practice.

The Aztec spear-thrower is essentially a lever used to propel a light spear [dart] farther, and with more force, than a hand-thrown spear. In the hands of a skillful warrior, it was indeed a dangerous weapon; a weapon quite capable of killing a man. These weapons were used around the world and seem to have predated the bow and arrow by thousands of years. In some cases, as in the case of the Aztecs, the atlatl continued to be used especially in battle, despite the simultaneous use of the bow.

How does the use of this weapon factor into my previous statements about the non-lethality of Aztec warfare? Although dangerous, most dart wounds were undoubtedly less than fatal. Yes, the occasional enemy warrior was killed outright but, on the average and just like the bow, most wounds were less than lethal, again providing an opportunity for capture.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of this weapon, I intend to hunt down a large animal, preferably a bison, video the event and add the video to this website. Why a bison? Primarily because the American buffalo, although very wild, is more likely to permit the close approach of hunters than are most game animals. Most animals, even large ones like deer, elk, moose and bear, are far too skittish to allow close approach by a human being and an atlatl absolutely requires a close approach. The weapon is short-range and inherently less accurate than a bow and arrow. An approach to less than twenty yards will be necessary.