Finding Class from the Glass: Obsidian source as a costly signal

Summary

Obsidian is abundant at nearly every Post-Classic Mesoamerican site. The obsidian typically is derived from multiple sources, including distant, "costly" sources. Given that the obsidians’ utility is similar regardless of source, one possible explanation for such "wasteful" consumption uses costly signaling theory. In this model, behavioral displays indicate a hidden quality. Here, use of distant obsidians reflects status by demonstrating access to trade networks and the ability to absorb the extra costs of distant trade. However, for a signal to be received, the cost must be readily visible, which may not be the case with obsidian given its uniform color and texture. In this experimental project, I test if observers can visually differentiate obsidian sources. Using 30 previously sourced obsidian blade and flake fragments from the Post-classic site of San Felipe Aztatán, participants with no previous training sorted the artifacts into distinct source groups. If participants successfully identify source groups, then people in the past could do the same. I found the average success rate was 92.4% for all participants. These results confirm that obsidian source can be used as a costly signal. Ultimately, this may help to explain why sources were used differentially by people in the past.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage