Symbolism of Obsidian Eccentrics from the Valleys of Tequila
Author(s): Cristian Ramirez
Year: 2025
Summary
This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.
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Eccentrics have been found all throughout Mesoamerica. This paper develops the first focused examination of the obsidian eccentrics from the Valleys of Tequila and examines some potential interpretations of their morphology and meaning. I draw upon previous archaeological, ethnohistorical, and ethnographic sources. I pull from the works of Veronique Darras and her analysis on the meaning of obsidian as well as research done by Johannes Neurath, Carl Lumholtz, and Theodor Konrad Preuss on the sociopolitical organization of the Wixáritari (Huichol) to propose interpretations of the symbolism related to these obsidian eccentrics. The 16<sup>th</sup> century Relación de Michoacán helps draw a possible connection between obsidian eccentrics and protohistoric descriptions that associate obsidian with representations of the god Curicaueri. If obsidian is considered to be the god Curicaueri according to La Relación de Michoacán, then what might it mean to cut and form a god into a figurine or an eccentric?
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Cite this Record
Symbolism of Obsidian Eccentrics from the Valleys of Tequila. Cristian Ramirez. Presented at The 90th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2025 ( tDAR id: 509664)
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Abstract Id(s): 52582