The mystery of the ancient Aztec warrior's cotton armor, against both the sword or the javelin

Not only fond of aggression, the Aztec warriors also surprised many enemies by using armor made of cotton fibers, blocking swords and sharp weapons.

The Aztec warriors are one of the notorious ancient army. In the history of ancient civilizations, (the empire existed from 1248 to 1521, now in Mexico) is famous for possessing the army of aggressive and cruel warriors on the battlefield.

Not only often dressed in frightening clothes like eagle, jaguar, Aztec warriors, but also rudimentary weapons but scary power, bow and arrow , tuberculosis, ax, dagger, .

One of them was the type of armor made of cotton thread, but extremely solid, it could prevent both arrows, javelins and barbs.

An Aztec warrior.(Photo: Alchetron)

On the battlefield, equipping good quality armor plays a very important role.

Iron shirts predominate in the West from around 1200 BC and make many believe that they are better able to protect the body than non-metallic materials.

However, the Aztec warrior's cotton armor showed the ability and strength surpassing the heavy iron and steel armor of Western civilization and many other large nations.

Specifically, some javelins and swords can pierce through the Spanish armor of steel (conquering Central and South America), then the Aztec cotton-woven armor can resist the Sharp jagged nose with barbs and made from obsidian stone material (also called volcanic glass stone).

Why is the cotton armor so effective?

The answer lies in the secret of processing and forming cotton armor. Following that, the Aztec warrior's armor was woven with cotton thread about the size of a finger.

But the key to their strength is the strength of the cotton by immersing it in salt water and hanging it dry.

The Aztec warrior's armor was made of cotton thread but it was strong, durable and capable of withstanding attacks like the javelin, the sword's slash.(Photo: ArtStation)

After all, the salt crystals that remain on the cotton will help this nonmetallic material be strong enough to withstand powerful spears or dangerous swords of swords.

At first, the fabrication method was quite simple and not too picky like armor through metallurgy, but when participating in battle, armor from cotton yarn showed great advantages and protection ability, more compared to those from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period.

The Aztec warrior's cotton armor even surpassed iron and steel armor.(Photo: DeviantArt)

It is even thought that the cotton armor of the Aztecs was superior to the paper armor of ancient Chinese people.

Besides, the Aztec warriors also equipped with protective caps made of hardwood, which depicted many images of animals such as eagle, wolf, .

Therefore, when wearing a special armor plus a wooden hat and holding powerful weapons, the Aztec warriors really became "obsession" of many armies on the ancient battlefield. .

Why did the Aztec empire choose armor made of cotton?

According to researchers, the climate, weather and weapons used are considered factors that affect the selection of the Aztec warrior's armor.

They did not use metal armor but instead opted for lightweight materials such as cloth and cotton to create a protective coat on the battlefield.

Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire, one of the mysterious ancient cities in the world.(Photo: MexicoCity)

In the humid tropical climate of Mexico Valley, fighting in heavy armor can cause exhaustion, heatstroke or stress on the body.

Knowing this, the Aztec warriors preferred to use light armor from nonmetal materials like cotton, to help them always store certain energy when fighting.

Moreover, the use of cotton armor also helps the Aztec Empire's warriors quickly escape heat from the body and reduce the discomfort, heavy when wearing them when fighting for a long time.

In addition to armor, the costumes of the Aztec warriors were also made from cotton and jute.

The cotton armor of the Aztecs is decorated with colorful, vivid patterns.(Photo: Internet)

Not only creating cotton armor that fits perfectly with the environment, climatic conditions as well as the many fighting terrain in the forest, the Aztec warriors also have a special interest.
It is decorated for armor with vibrant colors and beautiful patterns.

Aztec is a creative and mysterious civilization. The inhabitants of this empire have faith in the gods and religions that have inspired, contributing to shaping most of their armor style.

The colors used in many of the Aztec warrior's designs are green, yellow and orange. In addition, bird feathers are also considered to be the favorite decorative items of Aztec civilization.

The ancient Aztec cotton armor is proof that the use of readily available, close materials with simple methods can create a formidable "weapon".

This is truly an invention that makes us wonder about the creativity of people in the past.