Ritualized Chipped‐Stone Production at Piedras Negras, Guatemala

Abstract

The symbolic and iconographic nature of many obsidian eccentrics, chipped-stone items of ritual significance to the ancient Maya, appears to be related to the techniques used to produce them. This study shows that the symbolism of eccentrics extended beyond morphology and into the processes of production. It is argued that the manufacture of obsidian eccentrics may constitute an archaeological example of ritualized production, which is described here as the binding of craft and religious practice to produce material items. Ritualized production, an under-studied aspect of economic, political, and social organization in archaeology, has implications for understanding precapitalist or preindustrial societies wherein religion structured social practice in a significant way. Although it is difficult to archaeologically demonstrate ritualized production, its investigation sheds light on poorly understood aspects of economic value in ancient societies.

7 The Inalienability of Jades in Mesoamerica

“…As evidenced by the curation and caching of lithic artifacts in all stages of production in the Maya world, the production process was a sacred act, not merely a mundane shaping of what would then become a sacred artifact. Jade, obsidian, and chert production refuse were often incorporated into Maya caches and burials (see Hruby ; Hruby and Rich ).…”

“…Payson Sheets () echoes this sentiment for chert found within the Sacred Cenote of Chichen Itza, as there were not only finished products but debitage recovered, attesting to the process of production being ritually important, not just the finished product. This conclusion is reinforced by production debris found in tombs and special deposits at such sites as Tikal (Moholy‐Nagy ), Piedras Negras (Hruby ), and Kaminaljuyu (Kidder et al ). In the case of Cancuen, commoners co‐opted part of this identity as a function of their participation in the segmented manufacturing sequence of jade.…”

Ritual Use of Obsidian from Maya Caves in Belize: A Functional and Symbolic Analysis

“…In Mesoamerica, researchers have incorporated practice-based approaches into studies of craft production (e.g., Inomata 2001; Kovacevich 2007), exchange (e.g., LeCount 1999), and consumption, especially ritual feasting contexts (e.g., Barber and Joyce 2007;Brumfiel 2004). Though some of the agency-oriented studies cited here include obsidian data in their interpretations, few researchers have approached studies of obsidian from the perspective of practice theory (but see Hruby 2007).…”

Perspectives on ancient Maya bone crafting from a Classic period bone-artifact manufacturing assemblage

“…Studies of the domestic wares of other artifact classes and of their crafting by the non-elite are also limited, but lithic research at sites such as Colha, Belize, indicates a long history of significant community involvement in specialized lithic crafting for exchange (e.g., Hester and Shafer, 1994). Hruby (2006) argues on the basis of lithic research at the site of Piedras Negras that the skills of the specialized crafter were shared by various community members, particularly in the crafting of non-exotic materials. The animal-bone-debitage assemblage from the site of Dos Pilas can provide important additional information on the crafting of utilitarian wares by non-elite community members.…”