An Appraisal of the Middle Preclassic Pyrite Mirrors from Tomb 1 of Chiapa de Corzo

Summary

This is an abstract from the "And They Look into the Mirror for Answers: Mirror Analysis to Understand Its Holder" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Smith and Kidder were among the first to highlight pyrite prehispanic mirrors as “marvels of painstaking craftsmanship” (1951: 44). These mirrors presented a reflective surface consisting of 20–50 pyrite tesserae with beveled edges, perfectly cut, and average 2 mm in thickness. The first known examples of Mesoamerican mirrors were the “Olmec” type, a concave mirror created from a single hematite piece, developed during the Middle Preclassic period; later, in the Classic period, pyrite mosaic mirrors replaced them. But, to date, we do not understand the changes from one type to the other. In this work, we present the description of two pyrite mirrors found as part of a funerary offering at the site of Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, Mexico, dated around BC 700–500, as possible forerunners of Classic mirrors. Also, we will present traceological analysis of their manufacturing process using experimental archaeology and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Based on these examinations, we identify likely materials and techniques employed in crafting them. We posit that production of these mirrors could have been the result of the development of specialized artisans at distinct workshops, increasing the complexity and labor investment in the lapidary objects as prestige goods.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• And They Look into the Mirror for Answers: Mirror Analysis to Understand Its Holder   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37944.0