Mace Head 2nd century B.C.-A.D.1st century Cupisnique This gracefully crafted mace head has four fan-like projections, each separated by two nub or spike-like elements. Two vertical inscribed lines extend down from each flange to the bottom of the mace head. The stone has a hollow central core that originally held a wooden shaft. At the bottom a slight lip extends around the circumference. Traces of red cinnabar remain in the recesses between the projecting surfaces. The combination of flanges and nubs yields an object of power and deadly effectiveness. The narrow edges of the projections provide points of contact that would have exerted much more force than when struck than a simple round stone, similar to the way in which being stepped upon by a stiletto heel is much more painful than being stepped upon by a wider heel.The proper cultural attribution of stone mace heads of this type is unclear. Carved stone mace heads were made as early as the middle of the first millennium B.C. in t