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

whereby data were recorded. The hypotheses to be tested also are listed, and the basic
assumptions used in the study are examined. These methods briefly are compared to
those used in other lithic studies. In contrast to many other studies, a combination of
artifacts found in households as well as royal-ritual contexts is utilized here.
The third, fourth, and fifth, chapters all address the most basic levels of analysis.
Chapter 3 describes the geologic sources of the obsidian and microcrystalline quartzes
used at Piedras Negras and their geographic relationship to the Piedras Negras population
center. The sourcing methods also are described. Chapters 4 and 5 are concerned with the
technological and morphological typologies used to categorize microcrystalline quartz
and obsidian chipped-stone artifacts, respectively. A description of reduction techniques
for Piedras Negras eccentrics also is included in both chapters.
I describe the distribution patterns of the chipped-stone artifacts across the site
based on the data collected according to the above typologies. Chapter 7 presents a
statistical analysis of the artifact distributions and tests the hypotheses presented in
Chapter 3. Finally, Chapter 8 discusses the results of the tests, and the applicability of the
theories proposed. An interpretation of the data and conclusions of the research are
submitted. The connection between ideology, lithic technology, and economics is
elucidated through concurrent patterns in lithic technology and archaeological context
during the Late Classic period.
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