Obsidian procurement and distribution in the Northwestern Maya lowlands during the Maya Classic, a regional perspective

A collection of 1338 obsidian artifacts and debitage from 37 archaeological sites (Early Formative to Late Classic) in the Northwestern Maya lowland in Mexico were analyzed using EDXRF and an attribute analysis. The study includes obsidian collected from urban population nodes like Chinikihá, Moral-Reforma, and Yaxchilán, incorporating the different types and size of settlements that include single platforms in the rural areas. The study illustrates a global perspective of the local communities in their daily use of obsidian. The application of an elemental sourcing analysis yielded the provenance of obsidian from sources in Guatemala (El Chayal, Ixtepeque, Jilotepeque) and Mexico (Zaragoza, Pachuca, Penjamo), pointing to the complex interregional and long-distance network of exchange that extended beyond the study area.