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

Table 4.1 depicts the percentages by artifact count and weight of all the microcrystalline-
quartz materials at the site. The quantities described in the table are not exact, largely
because of the tendency of Piedras Negras artifacts to acquire white patina, which
obscures the true color of the stone. The categories that feature a question mark contain
those materials that were difficult to identify visually. I describe the available information
based on my visual analysis. Of the total 4,557 microcrystalline-quartz artifacts, which
weigh 141,406 g, 347 were from cache deposits (12,276 g, 8.68% by total weight). All of
these artifacts were made of either chert or chalcedony, but the chert artifacts were much
more common at 93.37% by count. While the materials used to produce cache goods
were of relatively high quality, they were never made from very fine imported flint
materials. Most of the eccentrics were made from what appear to be local materials.
The remaining 4,210 microcrystalline-quartz artifacts, which weigh 129,131 g,
were found outside of cache contexts. The majority of the artifacts were chert according
to both weight and count (62.95% and 49.75%, respectively). As the percentages
indicate, however, artifacts made of chalcedony and dolomite were both larger and denser
than their chert counterparts. Chalcedony and dolomite are by nature tougher stones, and
were often reserved for thicker, more durable tool forms. Chalcedony and dolomite were
the second and third most common materials at Piedras Negras, while flint, quartzite, and
silicified limestone were considerably less so. Petrified wood, probably collected from
the local streambed was the least common material used for chipped-stone production.
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