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

8.1: SUMMARY OF TEST RESULTS
CHAPTER 8
CONCLUSIONS
According to the tested hypotheses and the results of overall analysis at Piedras
Negras, chipped-stone production and consumption were highly dynamic through time
and involved all sectors of society at particular points in time. The production of obsidian
goods appears to have been a restricted activity at the city during Yaxche times and likely
before, at least during the Balche phase and possibly as early as the Naba phase (i.e.,
Early Classic). With the onset of Chacalhaaz times obsidian-blade production became
more widespread and more eccentrics were deposited in caches. This increase was
accompanied by additional styles of eccentrics and reduction techniques. These patterns
suggest that more people became craft specialist in obsidian, and that more obsidian was
imported to the site during the Chacalhaaz phase. The production of obsidian goods was
restricted once again during Kumche times, but it is unclear whether this had any
relationship to centralized distribution, because the local dynasty was long dissolved by
that time. The nature of restricted obsidian production during Yaxche and pre-Yaxche
times likely had some relationship to centralized control of material distribution, and also
to the relative rarity of obsidian during this time.
Alternatively, the production of microcrystalline-quartz goods was never greatly
restricted, and this probably is related to the availability of raw materials in the area. The
relative poverty of the site throughout its history, marked by a lack of prestige goods such
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