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

CHAPTER 5
MICROCRYSTALLINE-QUARTZ ARTIFACT TYPES
This chapter describes the morphologies and technologies of the various
microcrystalline-quartz artifacts found at Piedras Negras. The first section takes an in-
depth look at the bifacially and unifacially reduced tools at the site through what I term a
morpho-technological typology. The second section describes the forms and technologies
of the microcrystalline-quartz eccentrics found in royal caches at the site. Although I do
not discuss the complete symbolic content of the eccentric morphologies here, I do
describe the basic technological patterns that appear through time. Finally, I review the
various kinds of debitage that are produced through the manufacture of “tools” and
“eccentrics” at the site.
5.1: A MICROCRYSTALLINE-QUARTZ TOOL TYPOLOGY
The microcrystalline-quartz artifacts of Piedras Negras represent a wide variety of
technologies and forms that resemble those from other lowland sites (e.g., Tikal and
Uaxactun). Nevertheless, many common biface and uniface types are not found at Piedras
Negras, indicating that some centers or regions maintained unique knapping traditions at
particular times. The goal of this chapter is to categorize bifacially- and unifacially-
worked tools made from microcrystalline quartz in a way that can facilitate cross-site
comparison of chipped-stone artifact assemblages. In an attempt to remove factors of
material, skill, and function from my typological scheme, I present a morpho-
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