The obsidian of Southern Sinaloa: New evidence of Aztatlan networks through PIXE

This study presents an investigation of 19 obsidian artifacts recovered from Southern Sinaloa, as well as obsidian samples recovered from the deposits at Teuchitlán and La Joya (both in Jalisco State) and at Abasolo (Guanajuato). Chemical analyses were carried out by means of PIXE (proton induced X-ray emission), obtaining the concentration of the following elements: sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, chlorine, potassium, calcium, titanium, manganese, iron, zinc, arsenic, rubidium, yttrium, and zirconium. The statistical analysis of the results, together with data from the literature, allowed for an identification of the obsidian deposits used in the manufacture of pre-Hispanic artifacts, namely: Las Navajas-2 (Nayarit), Teuchitlán (Jalisco), Sierra de Pachuca (Hidalgo), and Abasolo (Guanajuato). The first deposit mentioned was most popular in Southern Sinaloa, though the range of sources went all the way from relatively nearby ones, like those around the Tequila volcano, to the Bajío region and Central Mesoamerica. This study proposes the obsidian trading routes that could have reached Southern Sinaloa.