Dagger or Spearhead. - fine quality - Maya, 300 - 800 A.D. MATERIAL: Flint. SIZE: Height 27 cm. PROVENANCE: - Private collection, Jacques-André Cronier (1956 - 2019), Mezièrs le Cléry, France. - Inherited from its previous owners. - Art market, France, 2023. CONDITION: Good condition, no restorations. DESCRIPTION: Dagger or lithic spearhead carved in flint, double-edged and with an elongated spike at the base for its insertion into a shaft or handle. Flint or flint is a fairly common material in the Mayan lowlands and, together with obsidian, was the material preferred by this culture for making daggers, knives and spearheads. The blade, elongated and symmetrical, ends in a sharp point. The shape is sophisticated, with gently sinuous profiles: the silhouette is widest at the base, tapering toward the middle of the blade's length, and finally opens again, albeit more slightly, before reaching the tip. The difference in the thickness of the flint between the central axis and the edges is notable, and can be easily appreciated when viewing the piece against the light. Developed in an immense area that included Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, a large part of Mexico and the western zone of Honduras, the Mayan culture developed from the year 2000 B.C. approximately. What differentiates it from the rest of Mesoamerican cultures is the use of writing. In fact, it was probably the main tool for its extraordinary development, since it allowed distance communications and historical records; It encompassed not just one or two population centers, but dozens of cities and towns belonging to the same belief system, sharing the same culture. In the Protoclassic Period (50 BC – 250 AD) the first stelae appear representing religious and power-related scenes, and the first pyramids are built. This is also the moment of the founding of Teotihuacán, whose culture exerted a notable influence on the Mayans, especially their cult of war. As Mesoamerica flourished during the Classic Period (AD 250-900), Maya cities prospered under a dynastic regime whose power was reflected in the numerous depictions of individual kings on stelae, accompanied by texts glorifying their reigns. Different dynasties emerged in the different cities, Tikal being probably the first to initiate wars of conquest against its neighbors, following the warlike ideology and technology promulgated by the Teotihuacans. The Mayan kings then began to record their victories, genealogies, and the passage of time on their monuments. By the beginning of the eighth century, the Maya aristocracy enjoyed wealth unparalleled until then, but lived in a time of continuous conflict between cities and kings. The population was growing rapidly, which also led to a rapid degradation of the natural environment, unable to produce enough food. By the end of the 8th century, and during the 9th, the so-called Mayan Collapse took place: the ceremonial precincts were abandoned and the population was drastically reduced. By the year 900, the Mayan domain had already been replaced by the new power: the Toltecs. BIBLIOGRAPHY: - AOYAMA, K. "War and weapons of the classic Maya: spearheads and arrows from Aguateca and Copán", in Mayan Culture Studies, 28. National Autonomous University of Mexico. 2006. - EVANS, S.T.; WEBSTER, D.L. Archeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia. Taylor &Francis. 2000. - MILLER, M. Maya Art and Architecture. Thames & Hudson. 1999. - SHARER, R.J.; TRAXLER, L.P. The Ancient Maya. Stanford University Press. 2006. - THOMPSON, J.E.S. Mayan History and Religion. University of Oklahoma Press. 1970. PARALLELS: Fig. 1 Flint knife. Mexico, Maya Culture, Classic period, c. 250-909 AD Amparo Museum, Puebla (Mexico), inv. 52 22 MA FA 57PJ 1619-2. Notes: The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki. The seller will take care that any necessary permits, like an export license will be arranged, he will inform the buyer about the status of it if this takes more than a few days. The piece includes authenticity certificate. The piece includes Spanish Export License.