The Flaked Stone Economy of Los Mogotes: Access and Exploitation during the Epiclassic Period

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This study examines the flaked stone economy at the Epiclassic site of Los Mogotes, located north of the Basin of Mexico in central Mexico. We quantified obsidian and chert artifacts based on form and material in order to examine the nature of the regional lithic economy during this time. The findings suggest were dependent on long-distance exchange for already manufactured goods. Despite being close to high quality obsidian sources in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Los Mogotes relied on grey obsidian from sources located farther away. The obsidian assemblage exhibits little evidence of primary production and suggests a down-the-line model of exchange of tools, many of which were later reworked into secondary or tertiary items. This pattern contrasts with evidence of primary production using more locally available chert. These findings conform to broader regional trends observed at contemporaneous sites during this time and shed light on the ways in which regional economic systems re-organize.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25461