Mace Head 12th-5th century B.C. Cupisnique This carved stone mace head with five concentric rows of nubs would have been slipped onto a wooden shaft for use as a weapon. Mace heads of this type are found in a variety of shapes including whorls, flanges, points, and other graceful geometric shapes. The formation of nubs along the side of the stone enhances its effectiveness, as when used, all of the force is concentrated at the narrow edges of the weapon rather than spread out over a broader surface area, similar to the way in which being stepped upon by a stiletto heel is much more painful than being stepped upon by a normal 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 the Central Andes, by artisans of the Chavín and Cupisnique cultures. A sculpted mace head was excavated from a burial at Kuntur Wasi in the northern highlands of Peru (Fux, 2013:310, cat. no. 105