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PRISMATIC BLADE PRODUCTION IN THE LOWER CACAULAPA VALLEY, HONDURAS: IMPLICATIONS FOR A LATE CLASSIC POLITICAL ECONOMY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 2017

William J. McFarlane  and
Edward M. Schortman
William J. McFarlane
Affiliation:
Anthropology Department, Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210, USA (mcfarlane@jccc.edu)
Edward M. Schortman
Affiliation:
Anthropology Department, Palme House, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43022, USA
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Abstract

Investigations of ancient political economies frequently focus on craft production. How manufacturing is organized can provide critical insights on more than the economy because social interactions and political processes are also involved. Here we consider how the acquisition, fabrication, and distribution of obsidian blades figured in the political strategies of craftworkers and elites within the Late Classic (AD 600–800) lower Cacaulapa Valley, northwestern Honduras. This evidence provides insights into the organization of craft manufacture across southeastern Mesoamerica and suggests that current models do not capture the varied production strategies that may be pursued within the same polity.

Las investigaciones sobre las economías políticas de los antiguos Mayas se enfocan frecuentemente en la producción artesanal. El modo de organización del proceso de manufactura nos puede proporcionar una visión crítica que va más allá de la economía, debido a que involucra múltiples interacciones sociales y políticas. En este trabajo consideramos cómo la adquisición, fabricación y distribución de navajas de obsidiana formó parte de las estrategias políticas de los artesanos y las élites del Clásico tardío (600–800 dC) en el valle inferior de Cacaulapa, en el noroeste de Honduras. Esta evidencia arroja una imagen de la organización de la manufactura artesanal en el sureste de Mesoamérica y sugiere que los modelos actuales no encapsulan las múltiples estrategias de producción que pueden perseguirse dentro de una entidad política.

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Articles
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , December 2017 , pp. 577 - 598
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 by the Society for American Archaeology 

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