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

elow the site core (Hruby 1998, 1999, 2001). The deposition of microcrystalline quartz
and obsidian eccentrics also began during this time. Even though extensive excavations
took place in the Early Classic palace area, as well as in the South Group, only a
relatively small sample of Early Classic artifacts was recovered. A good understanding of
Early Classic economy must await further archaeological excavation in the area.
Monumental Early Classic construction at Piedras Negras is focused in the South
Group where some Preclassic structures were used as foundations for Early Classic
pyramids. According to the apparent burial pattern of Early Classic tomb placement in
the South Group (see Burial 10 and Burial 110 in Coe [1959:126-127] and Child and
Child [2001b:401], respectively), it appears to be the first major burial place for Early
Classic kings. The second large-scale Early Classic building program was carried out in
the West Group Plaza, and consisted of an extensive palace complex located directly
below the Late Classic Acropolis structure (Golden 1998). The Early Classic Cache K-5-
8 discovered in the 1930s (Coe 1959:94), and Cache R-16-1 (Escobedo and Zamora
2001c:370) suggests that the use of obsidian and microcrystalline-quartz eccentrics began
in earnest at this time. The location of these caches is similar to Late Classic caches. R-
16-1 was found at the top of the pyramid in the temple floor, and K-5-8 8 was located in a
cache bowl near a column altar. Caching practices during the Early Classic likely acted as
templates for caches deposited during the later Balche, Yaxche, and Chacalhaaz phases.
As discussed below, however, the symbolic forms deposited in these caches were
substantially different from those found in Late Classic deposits, and although they can
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