Formative Ceramic and Obsidian Transitions at Salinas La Blanca

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Salinas La Blanca, located within the coastal estuary of the Soconusco region of Guatemala, was occupied from the Early to Middle Formative periods. This was a period of considerable cultural change, as Olmec influence on the Pacific Coast waned and regional centers developed more centralized power. This paper presents the results of a chemical compositional approach to ceramic and obsidian artifacts using portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Obsidian analysis indicates that Salinas La Blanca participated in an extensive trading network, receiving obsidian from multiple sources of a considerable distance. Chemical characterization of ceramic pastes provides an opportunity to reevaluate existing ceramic ware classifications, such as the relationship between Guamuchal Brushed and Suchiate Brushed tecomates, and reflect on the benefits and challenges which accompany the use of pXRF in analyzing ceramic artifacts. The interregional and local ties demonstrated through the ceramic and lithic assemblages place Salinas La Blanca within a complex network of economic and social relations and parallels evidence of emerging social complexity at contemporary regional centers in Formative Pacific Coastal Guatemala.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32757