I have been reading "Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control" by Ross Hassig. He mentions that a certain Gemelli Careri made a drawing of an Aztec sling. I can't find it on-line. I usually find anything on the web, even stuff I wished I hadn't. Has anyone heard of, or seen, this drawing or know anything about Aztec slings? thanks.

I did find a sketch of an alleged Mexican soldier with a sling on-line. It says the original is in the John Carter Brown Library. I do not know if this is the picture to which Mr. Hassig refers I've attached it as a .pdf (I hope). It shows some sort of stylized woven pouch. What do you think?

Todd

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In my opinion, that's a weird pouch :D Very deep but the stone is poking out the top which says to me artistic license. The continuous cord across the "spine" of the pouch is I guess possible, but I feel it would lead to the pouch tipping one way or the other. I think this shows that the sling was described to the artist or he saw one in passing. I doubt it's accurate to how they would have actually been constructed. It does point more to a net pouch than a solid pouch but I'm not sure how much that's supported by archeology.

looks like a purse with long handles to me.

It seems that you have the correct drawing.

Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri (1651-1725)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Francesco_Gemelli_Careri

He published Giro del mondo in 1699.
Of this book, we need part 6: Parte sesta, Contenente le cose più ragguardevoli vedute nella Nuova Spagna.
Which we can find here: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL23663508M/Giro_del_mondo_del_dottor_d._Gio._Francesco_Gemelli_Careri
in full resolution.
On page 107 of the pdf one finds a "soldato mexicano". Which is the drawing you posted above.
I quickly read through the paragraphs before and after, but the sling does not get mentioned. The soldier is described on page 79, but not in much detail (108 of the pdf).


For those with slow internet connection, I recommend
https://books.google.ch/books?id=D7tRAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA278&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
page 48

Thanks for the Link
To me it looks similar to the Cora Culture Slings, a technique similar to the Macramee braiding for manufacturing hanging flower pots that was weused at school .

Similar to this cora sling

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That seems a plausible design I would say.

Thank you all. Mystery solved. Yeah, the character of the drawing is unfortunate. I don't think it is unreasonable, however, to assumed form the drawing that the pouch of the Aztec sling was, in some way, woven. This may be the only description we have for sling used by the Aztec warriors.

funditor,

That is quite reasonable. I have to look into making that. Did you make that? Thank you!