Source to Site: Geochemical Analysis of Obsidian Artifacts from Three Maya Sites in the Southeastern Three Rivers Adaptive Region, Belize

Abstract

Linking obsidian artifacts to their original sources elucidates ancient Maya trade networks and examining changes in the frequency of source attribution through time highlights shifting social, political, and economic affiliations. This report presents geochemical data from energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence on more than 500 obsidian artifacts from three sites in the southeastern Three Rivers adaptive region (TRR): Chan Chich, Gallon Jug, and Kaxil Uinic. The results indicate that ancient residents of these settlements procured obsidian from dynamic and varied exchange networks throughout the Preclassic and Classic periods. In the Late Preclassic and Early Classic, Chan Chich’s residents acquired most of their obsidian from San Martín Jilotepeque and Ixtepeque, unlike occupants of other TRR sites who mostly consumed El Chayal obsidian. By the Late Classic period, all residents of the TRR consumed primarily El Chayal obsidian and the first Mexican sources arrived at Chan Chich. As the first comprehensive study of obsidian exchange at these sites in southeastern TRR, these findings lay a foundation for understanding broader exchange networks and regional politics.