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Preclassic Obsidian Procurement and Utilization at the Maya Site of Colha, Belize

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

David O. Brown ,
Meredith L. Dreiss  and
Richard E. Hughes
David O. Brown
Affiliation:
Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-1100, david.brown@mail.utexas.edu
Meredith L. Dreiss
Affiliation:
Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-1100, MLDreiss@aol.com
Richard E. Hughes
Affiliation:
Geochemical Research Laboratory, 20 Portola Green Circle, Portola Valley CA 94028–7833, rehughes@silcon.com
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Abstract

This study explores the early use of obsidian at the Maya site of Colha in northern Belize and the implications that variations in source distribution have for the site and its regional connections. Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of 104 specimens of obsidian from Preclassic contexts at the site identified El Chayal obsidian as the most common overall followed closely by that from San Martin Jilotepeque. Ixtepeque obsidian, not common in many Preclassic assemblages, was also strongly represented. The results revealed a Middle Preclassic dependence on San Martin obsidian gradually diminishing through the Preclassic to the Classic period, when San Martin all but disappears from the site. A corresponding increase in El Chayal obsidian use through time at Colha coincides with the rise of Kaminaljuyu in the Guatemalan highlands. Analysis of the obsidian by context indicated that El Chayal obsidian dominated in architectural and ritual deposits while Ixtepeque obsidian was the most common in workshops. San Martin accounted for a slightly greater percentage than El Chayal obsidian in middens, with Ixtepeque materials notably less common. The data indicate that Colha was connected to a broad distribution network from the Middle Preclassic onward, and that obsidian source variability was greater during the Preclassic than the subsequent Classic period.

Este estudio explora el uso temprano de obsidiana en Colha en el none del Belice y las implicaciones de las variaciones en la distribución de las varias fuentes conocidas para el sitio y sus conexiones dentro de la región. El análisis de 104 especimenes de contextos Preclásicos por espectrometría fluorescente de rayos-x tipo energía dispersiva (EDXRF) se ha identificado lafuente de El Chayal como la más común, seguido estrechamente por San Martin Jilotepeque y también por Ixtepeque unafuente escasa en muchas colecciones Preclásicas. Los resultados revelaron una dependencia de la obsidiana de San Martín durante el Preclásico Medio que disminuia hasta elperiodo Clásico, cuando casi se desapareció. Un contemporáneo aumento de la obsidiana de El Chayal coincide con el crecimiento del Kaminaljuyú. El análisis por contextos indicó que la obsidiana de El Chayal dominó en capas arquitectónicos y rituales, mientras que la de Ixtepeque en talleres. La obsidiana de San Martín se mostró un porcentaje ligeramente más grande que la de El Chayal en basurales, mientras que la de Ixtepeque fue mucho menos común. Colha fue conectado a una red distributiva desde el Preclásico Medio, y la variabilidad en las fuentes fue más amplia durante el Preclásico que el Clásico.

Type
Reports
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , June 2004 , pp. 222 - 240
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 by the Society for American Archaeology.

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