Classic Maya Obsidian Trade

Abstract

The obsidian artifact distribution in some 13,000 m3 of excavated fill from 17 Maya sites is analyzed. Large regional centers, characterized by abundant monumental art and architecture, have five times more obsidian per capita than do smaller centers. Central place redistribution, rather than central place market exchange (Rathje 1971), appears to be the best organizational mode for this long-distance trade. That is, obsidian in the Late Preclassic-Early Classic was a status good reflecting religious and political behavior. Its everyday use was largely restricted to elite households. By the Late Classic increases in transport efficiency may have permitted a more widespread usage of obsidian.