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

1.2: OUTLINE OF THE STUDY
I begin this study with a review of relevant economic and social theories used in
the Maya area and how they were, and are, applied to various archaeological datasets. A
critical eye is turned to these previous studies with the goal of identifying gaps in
knowledge, and places where an economic perspective could benefit from alternate forms
of investigation and theoretical perspectives. Chapter 2 continues with a broader
treatment of social identity and craft production. The general interest is in how economic
activities are tied to social organization, ideology, and the formation of social identity.
The role of ideology and religion in Classic Maya society is reviewed with special
attention to the ways in which the state religion pervaded much of Piedras Negras society
and how these may have integrated into craft producer ideologies. Finally, a synthetic
perspective is submitted that seeks the middle ground between economic and social
theories, and that can be applied fruitfully to Classic Maya archaeology. The intersection
between economic activity, and ideology and religion, is argued to be an important aspect
of ancient Maya economies and craft organization.
Chapter 3 situates the lithic craft producers and their technological traditions in
the history of Piedras Negras. The historical changes in the ruling family are especially
important for noting technological and symbolic changes in microcrystalline quartz and
obsidian eccentrics through time. Previous artifact studies at Piedras Negras and the
surrounding region also are described to highlight the differences between the present
sample and other datasets. I further describe microcrystalline quartz (i.e., chert, flint,
dolomite, etc.) and obsidian samples analyzed in this thesis and describe the methods
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