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

degree to which lithic production was restricted and whether obsidian and
microcrystalline-quartz production were related activities. The consumption of
microcrystalline quartz and obsidian eccentrics appears to be restricted to the elites, and
the distributional analysis indicates that this is actually the case. It may be possible to
determine whether the royal family controlled certain elements of chipped-stone
distribution at Piedras Negras, but demonstrating control over production is even more
difficult. Demonstration of control can only follow from an interpretation of the
distribution data, and secondarily from the results of this first set of hypotheses.
3.3.2: Hypothesis Set 2: Ideology and Value
The third hypothesis is that the royal palace had more access to production
debitage than other residential groups in the site. That is, the total production evidence
from the palace, and royal caches and burials will be significantly greater than anywhere
else during a given time period. The null hypothesis is that all production locals will have
similar ratios of production evidence to nonproduction evidence. The implication is that
the royal family had greater access to production debitage than other households in the
city center. The result is counterintuitive because production debitage has traditionally
been understood to be of little value and interest to the ruling elite.
The fourth hypothesis is that certain types of chipped-stone goods not only had
economic value, but also had symbolic value and meaning to royal and nonroyal
inhabitants alike. Consequently, particular artifact forms and the resulting debitage were
perceived and distributed differently based on their functions and symbolism. The
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