An Unexplored Realm in the Heartland of the Southern Gulf ... - Famsi

Throne Units
Test Units
Offerings I & II
Table 5.5. El Marquesillo obsidian by source and deposition location
Source Blades Flakes Bipolar Quantities
PROXIMAL MEDIAL DISTAL
GV 1 5 0 29 5 40
PAC 0 1 0 0 0 1
UCA 0 0 0 1 0 1
UNK 0 0 0 1 0 1
ZAR 2 5 0 5 0 12
GV 0 0 0 21 3 24
UNK 0 0 0 2 0 2
ZAR 4 11 3 11 1 30
GV 1 1 0 10 2 14
ZAR 0 1 0 0 0 1
The presence of four identified sources differs substantially from the eight to
twelve sources possible at San Lorenzo (Cobean et al. 1971, 1991; Coe and Diehl 1980a)
or the nine sources identified for La Venta and San Andrés (Doering 2002, 2003).
Obsidian analyses performed at Tres Zapotes demonstrated at least eight sources were
present at the site throughout its history (Hester et al. 1971; Knight 2003). It is not known
how many of these sources were present during the Formative period alone, however.
Nevertheless, Hester et al.’s (1971) survey indicates Zaragoza supplied over 93 percent of
Tres Zapotes’ obsidian during at least 1500 years of occupation. Guadalupe Victoria
material was also present but in a minimal amount, accounting for 1.4 percent of the
material. The other six sources combined to represent 5.5 percent of the total. Work at
Tres Zapotes has recently uncovered evidence of an Early Formative period occupation
(Christopher Pool, personal communication 2005), and will provide greater insight into
the Formative period obsidian industry there.
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