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The Investigation of Obsidian Craft Production at Xochicalco, Morelos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2010

Kenneth G. Hirth
Kenneth G. Hirth
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, 409 Carpenter Hall, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Abstract

Surface reconnaissance at the site of Xochicalco, Morelos, identified 12 areas believed to be production locales where obsidian tools were manufactured during the Epiclassic period (A.D. 700-900). Production locales were identified from concentrations of chipped stone debitage located in both residential and nonresidential contexts at Xochicalco. Differences in the size and location of these production locales suggested obsidian craft activity was carried out in three different production contexts similar to those reported at the large urban center of Teotihuacan: small domestic workshops, large nonresidential workshops, and civic-ceremonial precinct workshops. Stratigraphic excavations were initiated to test whether the inferences about the context of production based on surface concentrations of obsidian debitage would be confirmed by subsurface testing. The results show that in most cases surface concentrations of obsidian debitage accurately reflect the presence of in situ craft activity.

Resumen

Un recorrido del sitio de Xochicalco, Morelos, ha localizado la presencia de 12 áreas identificadas como talleres de obsidiana dond e se fabricaron utensilios de obsidiana durante el epiclásico (700-900 d.C). Estas áreas fueron identificadas por medio de las concentraciones de desperdicio de talla localizadas en áreas residenciales tanto como en áreas no-residenciales. La variatión en el tamaño y la ubicación de estas 12 áreas de productión sugieren que los utensilios de obsidiana fueron producidos en trés contextos distintos: talleres de obsidiana en contextos domésticos, talleres grandes en áreas no-residenciales y talleres en áreas civico-ceremoniales. Estos tres tipos de talleres de obsidiana son los mismos que han sido identificados en Teotihuacan.

En 1992 las 12 áreas fueron exploradas usando pozos de sondeo para ver si existía una corelación entre los depósitos superficiaies y los razgos estratigraficos. Estas exploraciones confirmaron que de las 12 áreas, siete definativamente fueron talleres, tres no fueron talleres y dos no tenían suficiente evidencia para determinar si funcionaban o no como un área de actividad. Como resultado, esta investigatión ha demonstrado que en la mayoría de los casos en Xochicalco la presencia de desperdicios de obsidiana en la superficie es buen indicio de los materiales, los con-textos y los actividades prehispánicos que se encuentran debajo de la superficie.

Type
Articles
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 6 , Spring 1995 , pp. 251 - 258
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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