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AncientCraftwork Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Posts: 2403	(delete) Jun 17^th, 2011 at 3:18pm (delete)
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Wayfarer Descens Offline "Utrum per hebdomadem perveniam" Posts: 171 Tampa, Florida Gender:	Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel) Reply #1 - Jun 17^th, 2011 at 7:08pm Yeah, i've watched that video a number of times just to examine the hit on the manikin with the clay ball.
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Dilyan Ganev Senior Member Offline Hard rocks... Posts: 276 Balkans, Bulgaria, Burgas Gender:	Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel) Reply #2 - Jun 18^th, 2011 at 5:37am Yeah..the manikin took quite a beating, and still was hit by a glancing blow...
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mossdog427 Junior Member Offline thud Posts: 53 Kentucky Gender:	Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel) Reply #3 - Jun 18^th, 2011 at 7:19am it seems as though the clay breaks into shards. some of the wound looks more like it was cut off than broken.
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Aussie

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Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel)
Reply #4 - Jun 18^th, 2011 at 9:41am

I've also watched this video (the slinging part) a number of times. The slinger has a beautifully smooth action with nice body rotation. What I really would liked to have seen is an unedited clip of several shots to see how consistent his aim is. Frankly the glancing blow on the dummy is a bit of a worry as I imagine a top notch military slinger should have been able to hit it on the bridge of the nose. Still a disabling, if not fatal, shot as the commentary says.

I don't think we should read too much into the nature of the "wound" as it's just a clothing store mannequin made from relatively weak material. Wonder if they measured the projectile speed or just took a guess? (240 km/h = 150 mph)

I also think the idea that "anyone can make one of these in 30 minutes" is a bit optimistic. I sure as hell couldn't.

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Masque

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Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel)
Reply #5 - Jun 18^th, 2011 at 7:11pm

Aussie wrote on Jun 18^th, 2011 at 9:41am:

I also think the idea that "anyone can make one of these in 30 minutes" is a bit optimistic. I sure as hell couldn't.

Given a single, sufficiently long piece of string I was able to knot myself up a sling in less than 30 minutes with no prior knowledge or experience aside from "here's how to do it". It wouldn't be pretty, but in the middle of a battle, eyeballing a few measurements and making a temporary yet workable weapon in only a few moments downtime seems entirely plausible.

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Bill Skinner

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Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel)
Reply #6 - Jun 18^th, 2011 at 9:53pm

And everybody was taught how, probably at a fairly young age, and that would include making the string to make the cordage to make the sling. But I think it would probably take longer than 30 minutes.

How come nobody points out that there were 50,000+ Mexacali, Texacali and all the other tribes that the Aztecs were collecting tribute from, that were allied with the Spaniards? Bill

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Aussie

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Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel)
Reply #7 - Jun 20^th, 2011 at 4:03am

Masque wrote on Jun 18^th, 2011 at 7:11pm:

Aussie wrote on Jun 18^th, 2011 at 9:41am:

I also think the idea that "anyone can make one of these in 30 minutes" is a bit optimistic. I sure as hell couldn't.

Given a single, sufficiently long piece of string I was able to knot myself up a sling in less than 30 minutes with no prior knowledge or experience aside from "here's how to do it". It wouldn't be pretty, but in the middle of a battle, eyeballing a few measurements and making a temporary yet workable weapon in only a few moments downtime seems entirely plausible.

Even if the 30 mins. is hopelessly optimistic and the reality is several hours or even a day, the material expense is low and I imagine every warrior would have at least one spare. Can't see making running repairs in the middle of a battle except as an absolute last resort.

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Aussie

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Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel)
Reply #8 - Jun 20^th, 2011 at 4:11am

Bill Skinner wrote on Jun 18^th, 2011 at 9:53pm:

How come nobody points out that there were 50,000+ Mexacali, Texacali and all the other tribes that the Aztecs were collecting tribute from, that were allied with the Spaniards? Bill

Probably because not too many people know. The Spaniards themselves were certainly not going to destroy their 'invicible conquistador' image and publicize the fact that they only managed to beat the 'Godless heathens' because they had other godless heathens assisting them.............. Sure a case of out of the frying pan into the fire for all of those poor blokes, though.

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mossdog427

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Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel)
Reply #9 - Jun 20^th, 2011 at 8:55am

Aussie wrote on Jun 20^th, 2011 at 4:11am:

Bill Skinner wrote on Jun 18^th, 2011 at 9:53pm:

How come nobody points out that there were 50,000+ Mexacali, Texacali and all the other tribes that the Aztecs were collecting tribute from, that were allied with the Spaniards? Bill

Probably because not too many people know. The Spaniards themselves were certainly not going to destroy their 'invicible conquistador' image and publicize the fact that they only managed to beat the 'Godless heathens' because they had other godless heathens assisting them.............. Sure a case of out of the frying pan into the fire for all of those poor blokes, though.

it's also worth mentioning that politics is a part of war. if it wasn't for political manipulation the english wouldn't have had a chance in india or china, the mongols wouldn't have conquered asia, and the romans never would have made it out of italy. most conquests come with LOTS of foreign help.

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HurlinThom

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Re: Mexica/Aztec Weapons (Discovery Channel)
Reply #10 - Jun 20^th, 2011 at 12:57pm

Politics or national identity, there's more than one reason the Aztec defeat is attributed to the Spanish. If you are in the Southwest you see a lot of Aztec-related activity by Mexican-American groups, who choose to ignore that the Azteca/Mexica were a bunch of militaristic conquerors who practiced human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism at the expense of their equally Native American neighbors. The "subject" ethnicities get little or no recognition.

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