essay
Raw materials and sources
ancient chalcatzingo • Austin • Published In 1987 • Pages: 336-386
By: Grove, David C..
Abstract
Judging from some rather inconclusive sourcing studies done previously, Grove suggests that at the Olmec-influenced highland site of Chalcatzingo iron ores for pigment manufacture probably come from local sources, while mirrors mostly would have been imported in finished form. Through some new studies, it is strongly indicated that all obsidian used during the Formative period in Morelos State came from the Otumba and Paredon sources in the Teotihuacan Valley area, first passing through the Valley of Mexico; a distribution network probably largely separate from that for the Olmec core area on the Gulf Coast. Chalcatzingo could have functioned as the local importation, processing, and distribution center. The same is likely true of greenstone as described in Thomson: 1987 (Document 20) and Thomson: 1987 (Document 37). Kaolin, chert, and lime are not so readily sourced, but sources are near the site and could have been important in exchange. Granodiorite is available at the site and probably was used only there, for carving monuments.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2000
- Region
- Middle America and the Caribbean
- Sub Region
- Central Mexico
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Archaeologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Leon G. Doyon ; 2007
- Field Date
- 1972-1976
- Coverage Date
- 3500 BP-2500 BP
- Coverage Place
- central-south highlands and Gulf Coast, Mexico
- Notes
- David C. Grove
- For bibliographical references see Grove: 1987 (Document 3)
- LCCN
- 85022673
- LCSH
- Olmecs