Sourcing Obsidian in the Central Mesoamerican Region Using XRF Analysis

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Obsidian tools and flakes are commonly examined in sourcing studies in areas with abundant volcanogenic deposits. Obsidian provenance research in the central Mesoamerican region has shown extensive networks of obsidian trade during the Formative and Classic periods. In this study, we used portable XRF to analyze a previously unstudied collection of over 200 artifacts housed at the Museum of Anthropology (University of Missouri) from sites in the Basin of Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala including Tula, Teotihuacan, Utatlan, Cotzumalguapa, and others. The resulting data from the artifact analysis were then compared to the obsidian source reference database at the Archaeometry Lab at the University of Missouri Research Reactor. The results show patterns of long-distance exchange of obsidian that are useful for understanding patterns of trade relationships.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 41674.0