The Organization of Chipped-Stone Economies at Piedras Negras ...

statistically insignificant production values. In addition to statistically significant
production values as a marker of production locale, quality of the production evidence
also is noted, such that all of the previously stated forms of production evidence must be
present for its identification as a plausible production locale. For example, a household
group that featured many unused third-series blades, but none of the second- or third-
degree production evidence, would not be considered as a production locale for a
particular time period. In short, the residential group must have a full range of production
debitage and a statistically significant percentage of production debitage in its
excavations to be considered as a production locale in this study.
3.2.1.3: Identifying ideologically-loaded production. The method used to analyze
burial and cache goods is based on a comparative approach to interpreting symbolism of
icons and material objects. Although I do not attempt to interpret the symbolic meaning
of each eccentric type in the present study, I use a refined version of the eccentric
typology proposed by Coe (1959) to determine which symbolic forms are repeated in
caches through time. Of course, some eccentric forms appear to be unique, but the
repetitive nature of the caching tradition at Piedras Negras allows for a comparison of
most symbolic forms, especially during the Late Classic period. In the case of chipped-
stone burial goods, I examine their spatial arrangements within the burial context to
determine if there is a symbolic pattern to their placement.
Once the symbolic patterns are determined, I analyze the specific technologies
used to make each lithic artifact. These of technologies are laid out explicitly in the
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