Raw Material Selection and Stone Tool Production: Limestone Bifaces in the Mopan Valley, Belize

Abstract

Stone tool producers in the Maya Lowlands had several types of raw materials from which to choose. Limestone, chert, and obsidian are the most naturally abundant, whereas chert and obsidian outnumber limestone in archaeological contexts. The presence of flaked-stone tools made of limestone is typically attributed to the scarcity of more suitable raw materials. Nevertheless, in chert-rich areas, such as the upper Belize River valley, limestone bifaces and production debitage are present. To understand their presence, we examine limestone biface production and use at Buenavista del Cayo.

Reducing Risk: Maya Lithic Production and Economic Diversification at Callar Creek Quarry, Belize

“…On the other hand, small household workshops produced utilitarian objects with little evidence of the involvement of royal elites (VandenBosch 1999;VandenBosch et al 2010). Likewise, production occurred within site cores (Whittaker et al 2009), sometimes associated with marketplaces (Cap 2015a(Cap , 2019(Cap , 2020. Given the diversity of lithic production areas, the significance of these activities for producers merits further study.…”

“…Research in the UBRV indicates diverse economic activities occurred including market exchange, reciprocity, gift-giving, and taxation/tribute, as well as household and specialized production activities. Evidence for marketplace exchange in the UBRV is strong and marketplaces were identified at Xunantunich (Cap 2019;Keller 2006) and Buenavista (Cap 2015a(Cap , 2015b(Cap , 2020 through architectural evidence, microartifact analysis, and soil chemistry. These marketplaces were centers for the exchange of chert and limestone bifaces, obsidian blades, shell, and cloth (Cap 2015a(Cap , 2015b(Cap , 2019Cap et al 2015;Heindel 2010;Heindel et al 2012;Keller 2006).…”

“…Evidence for marketplace exchange in the UBRV is strong and marketplaces were identified at Xunantunich (Cap 2019;Keller 2006) and Buenavista (Cap 2015a(Cap , 2015b(Cap , 2020 through architectural evidence, microartifact analysis, and soil chemistry. These marketplaces were centers for the exchange of chert and limestone bifaces, obsidian blades, shell, and cloth (Cap 2015a(Cap , 2015b(Cap , 2019Cap et al 2015;Heindel 2010;Heindel et al 2012;Keller 2006). The marketplaces indicate that producers and consumers in the UBRV had a close relationship (Yaeger 2010a).…”

“…Craft production in the UBRV included production in household workshops and generalized household production activities. Goods produced include chert preforms, bifaces and drills, manos and metates, cloth, shell, limestone blocks, and agricultural items (Chapman et al 2015;Devio 2016;Hearth 2012;Horowitz 2017Horowitz , 2018aHorowitz , 2019Kestle 2012;Robin 2013;Robin et al 2012;VandenBosch 1999;VandenBosch et al 2010;Yaeger 2000). Studies at Chan illustrate that households produced one or more items in larger quantities than necessary for their own consumption to exchange within, and possibly outside, the community (Robin 2013).…”

“…Lithic production at CCQ consisted of generalized core reduction to create core blanks and flake tools (Figures 4 and 6). Although these materials may have been further reduced elsewhere, no evidence of formal tool production was identified at the quarry (Horowitz 2017(Horowitz , 2018a(Horowitz , 2018b(Horowitz , 2019. Attribute analyses of lithics (n = 35,652) support the presence of generalized production and early stage reduction.…”