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

It is true, however, that the major production locales for chipped-stone goods,
PN33 from the South Group and PN46 from the acropolis, feature evidence of production
in both obsidian and microcrystalline quartz materials during the Late Classic period.
This pattern indicates that there may have been close relationship between both kinds of
craft specialization. Two of many possible explanations for this pattern are that (1)
chipped-stone producers could have been conversant in both kinds of technology, but
were could not gain access to cores during most time periods; or (2) both kinds of
production could have been distinct, but wealthy residential groups could have afforded
to maintain both kinds of craft specialization. It is not possible to gain more specificity
with the present data. However, the obsidian pattern suggests that obsidian-blade
production was more restricted, and that it was not necessary to produce microcrystalline-
quartz goods in order to produce obsidian ones.
The differentiation during the Chacalhaaz phase must have been associated with
some kind of economic reorganization that occurred at that time. Since many households
of differing status had access to obsidian blade cores, which are necessary for blade
production, it is likely that most obsidian blade producers had a working knowledge of
various microcrystalline-quartz reduction techniques, but that not all microcrystalline-
quartz tool producers had access to enough obsidian to master pressure-blade production.
The implications of this pattern are discussed in the synthetic section of the conclusions.
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