Obsidian Tool Functions at Early Formative Altica, Mexico

Summary

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

In central Mexican archaeology, tool functions have often been assumed for lithic artifacts based on material types and tool forms, which are classified broadly with labels such as bifaces, scrapers, blades, and flakes. Integrating the method of use-wear analysis derived through experimental archaeology is the most effective way to improve our understanding of tool functions in future studies. This poster draws on my experience with over 300 experiments involving obsidian tools and 30 materials in order to classify tool functions for 300 artifact specimens from Early Formative (1250-850 cal. BC) contexts at Altica, Mexico. Altica is the earliest recorded farming settlement in the Teotihuacan Valley and the only Formative site located within a day's walk to the Otumba obsidian source. Excavations at Altica indicate a domestic economy that involved large quantities of simple percussion flakes and percussion blades, and high frequencies of woodworking use-wear patterns observed on these specimens may reflect household craft specialization. Other activities that were accomplished with obsidian tools at Altica included: hunting small game; slicing maize and soft plants; butchering animals and slicing meat; extracting fibers and producing pulque from maguey plants; crafting tools made of bone; cutting stone; and shaping clay, likely for ceramic production.

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): 23693