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Tepoztopilli

Illustration — Tepoztōpīlli from the Armeria Real collection in Madrid • Illustration — A page from the Codex Mendoza depicting Aztec warriors each wielding a tepoztopilli • Illustration — Modern replica of a tepoztopilli. The tepoztopilli tepostoːˈpiːlːi was a common front-line weapon of the Aztec military. The tepoztopilli was a polearm, and judging 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 in length.

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Tepoztopilli

Aztec warriors. Six differing levels of military achievement are depicted in Codex Mendoza for young men who are destined to become priests. The first is a novice who has had made one capture. He wears a simple ichcahuipilli or quilted armour jacket. Those who had made two captures were awarded a white feather ornamented tlahuiztli, a tightly fitting body suit. A third capture entitled the warrior

Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. [1] Original document held at the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Shelfmark: MS. Arch. Selden. A. 1. · Public domain

Field
pole weapon

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Illustration — Tepoztōpīlli from the Armeria Real collection in Madrid • Illustration — A page from the Codex Mendoza depicting Aztec warriors each wielding a tepoztopilli • Illustration — Modern replica of a tepoztopilli. The tepoztopilli tepostoːˈpiːlːi was a common front-line weapon of the Aztec military. The tepoztopilli was a polearm, and judging 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 in length.

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wikipedia incomplete · checked 25 September 2026

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wikidata · Q1136799 · wikipedia · Tepoztopilli

In this article

  1. 01Origins and development
  2. 02Archives and collections
  3. 03Bibliography and scholarly literature
  4. 04Notes, references and evidence

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