tumi

plural tumis

1. archaeologyA ceremonial axe used by some Incan and pre-Incan cultures of South America.

   Decorated tumis such as this one may have been used for ceremonial purposes, although their utilization on more mundane occasions should not be ruled out.

   2004, Richard L. Burger, Lucy C. Salazar, “Catalogue”, in Richard L. Burger, Lucy C. Salazar, editors, Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas, page 193

   2 more examples

   The tumis are characterized by a metal handle, which can be bent at the free end or may have an ornament in the form of a button or a zoomorphic head; they also have a curved, sharp blade edge, forming a semicircle or half-moon.[…]The archaeological associations of the tumis found in Argentina indicate that these objects all had an Inca origin.

   1979, Alberto Rex González, “Pre-Columbian Metallurgy in Northwest Argentina: Historical Development and Cultural Process”, in Elizabeth P. Benson, editor, Pre-Columbian Metallurgy of South America, Conference Proceedings, page 177

   For instance, he makes sure that the reader is aware that the weapons taken by the Inca army, tumis, are ritual weapons used for the ritual hunt and slaughter of llamas.

   2002, Thomas B. F. Cummins, Toasts with the Inca: Andean Abstraction and Colonial Images on Quero Vessels, page 18