Star-shaped mace heads were a common form for clubs and weapons from at least the Early Intermediate Period (200 BCE-600 CE). The first examples appear in stone, associated with Chavín and Salinar cultures. The succeeding Moche and Nasca developed copper mace heads, which they depict in painted scenes of hand-to-hand combat on ceramic vessels. The pointed metal maces would remain popular throughout Andean cultural history. This metal mace head is composed of copper, with five thick cast points. The uniform copper composition suggests that this mace head may predate the use of copper alloys such as arsenical copper or tin bronze, which begin during the Middle Horizon (600-1000 CE).

Adapted from

Kimberly L. Jones, PhD, Inca: Conquests of the Andes / Los Incas y las conquistas de los Andes, Label text [1976.W.1793; 1976.W.1771; 1976.W.1772; 1976.W.1773; 1976.W.1774], 2015.

• In his 1976 report, Junius B. Bird, curator emeritus of South American archaeology at the American Museum of Natural History, notes: "Inca. K9c (sic) Cast copper or bronze club heads, (Last two may be earlier)."