The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of the Liberal Arts THE LATE CLASSIC ORGANIZATION OF JADE ARTIFACT PRODUCTION IN THE MIDDLE MOTAGUA VALLEY, ZACAPA, GUATEMALA A Dissertation in Anthropology by Erick T. Rochette © 2009 Erick T. Rochette Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2009 The dissertation of Erick T. Rochette was reviewed and approved* by the following: Kenneth G. Hirth Professor of Anthropology Dissertation Adviser Chair of Committee David Webster Professor of Anthropology George Milner Professor of Anthropology Matthew Restall Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History E. Paul Durrenberger Professor of Anthropology Director of Graduate Studies *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School. ii ABSTRACT Objects crafted from jade played a prominent social, political and ritual role in all prehispanic Mesoamerican civilizations from at least the Middle Formative period (ca. 1000-400 B.C.) through to the time of the Spanish Conquest. Based primarily on the consumption of jade artifacts by ancient Maya elites, scholars have argued that their production was under the direct control of elite members of society. Nevertheless, few studies have recovered evidence of jade artifact production. This dissertation presents the results of an archaeological project in the Middle Motagua Valley, Zacapa, Guatemala, where evidence demonstrates widespread production of jade artifacts in the only positively-identified jade source for prehispanic Mesoamerica. This field research involved archaeological survey and test excavation to document the organization of jade artifact production in the area during the Late Classic period (A.D. 600-900). These data and subsequent technological analyses suggest that jade aritfact production took place in a variety of domestic and non-domestic, as well as elite and non-elite contexts. This evidence runs counter to many previous models of wealth goods production, which have viewed such production as an elite-dominated activity. Further, the data set of 9,920 jadeite artifacts represents the largest collection of jade artifact production evidence recovered to date, and provided the opportunity for a detailed analysis of the technological process of jadeite artifact production. This study provides valuable insights into the organization of wealth goods production in ancient Mesoamerica and offers a contribution to general anthropological theories of political economy. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES.............................................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................................xii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................1 1.1 Problem Definition & Significance.............................................................2 1.2 Specific Issues Covered in this Dissertation.............................................10 1.3 Methodology and Data Collection.............................................................11 1.4 Chapter Organization and Content............................................................14 CHAPTER 2 APPROACHES TO THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY OF CRAFT PRODUCTION..........................................................................................17 2.1 Archaeological Approaches to the Study of Preindustrial Craft Production..................................................................................................19 2.2 Dimensions of Craft Production................................................................22 2.2.1 Technology & Craft Production.....................................................23 2.2.2 Craft Production Units...................................................................26 2.2.2.1 Spatial & Social Organization of Production Units...........28 2.2.3 Types of Goods Produced..............................................................32 2.2.4 Sociopolitical Context of Production.............................................36 2.3 Concluding Comments...............................................................................40 CHAPTER 3 JADE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN PREHISPANIC MESOAMERICA......................................................................................43 3.1 What is Jade?: Jade, Jadeite and Greenstone.............................................44 3.1.1 Jadeite Sources and Sourcing in Mesoamerica..............................47 3.2 The Cultural Significance of Jade in Prehispanic Mesoamerica...............52 3.2.1 Patterns of Formative Period Jade Use in Mesoamerica...............53 3.2.2 Patterns of Classic Period Jade Use in the Maya Area..................66 3.3 Discussion..................................................................................................74 CHAPTER 4 THE MIDDLE MOTAGUA VALLEY: PREVIOUS RESEARCH, RESEARCH DESIGN & SURVEY RESULTS.......................................76 4.1 The Middle Motagua Valley: Geological and Natural Environment.........77 4.2 Prehispanic Cultural Geography of the Southeastern Maya Zone.............80 4.2.1 Previous Archaeological Research in the SE Maya Periphery......80 4.2.2 Previous Archaeological Research in the Middle Motagua Valley.............................................................................................91 iv 4.3 Understanding Jade Artifact Production in the Lower Lato Valley........103 4.3.1 Preliminary Work........................................................................103 4.3.2 Surface Survey Methodology.....................................................105 4.4 Surface Survey Results...........................................................................108 4.4.1 Lower Lato River Valley Sites....................................................111 4.4.1.1 Vargas IIA.......................................................................111 4.4.1.2 Vargas III.........................................................................115 4.4.1.3 Magdalena .......................................................................116 4.4.1.4 Sites outside the Lower Lato River Valley......................117 4.5 Surface Survey Results Interpretation.....................................................118 4.6 Discussion................................................................................................125 CHAPTER 5 LOWER LATO RIVER ARCHAEOLOGICAL JADE PROJECT EXCAVATIONS....................................................................................126 5.1 Previous Excavations in the Middle Motagua Valley.............................126 5.1.1 Smith and Kidder's Guaytan Excavations....................................129 5.1.2 Walters' Guaytan Excavations.....................................................132 5.2 Excavations for Lower Lato River Archaeological Jade Project.............140 5.2.1 Excavation Methodology & Location of Excavation Units.........141 5.3 Summary of excavations at Guaytan 4....................................................147 5.4 Summary of Guaytan 3 Excavations........................................................157 5.5 Summary of Guaytan 5 Excavations........................................................158 5.6 Summary of Guaytan 6 Excavations........................................................158 5.7 Summary of Guaytan 7 Excavations........................................................159 5.8 Summary of Guaytan 8 Excavations........................................................161 5.9 Summary of Magdalena I Excavations....................................................162 5.10 Miscellaneous Excavations......................................................................163 5.11 Discussion of Excavation Results............................................................164 CHAPTER 6 MAKING THE JADE: THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS OF JADE ARTIFACT PRODUCTION...................................................................167 6.1 Previous Studies of Jade Artifact Production..........................................168 6.1.1 Percussion Methods.....................................................................169 6.1.2 Grinding/Abrading.......................................................................173 6.1.3 Sawing..........................................................................................176 6.1.4 Drilling.........................................................................................181 6.1.5 Incising.........................................................................................188 6.1.6 Polishing......................................................................................190 6.2 Typology of Jade Artifact Production Evidence......................................192 6.2.1 Jade Cobble or Chunk..................................................................195 6.2.2 Large Jade Flakes.........................................................................195 6.2.3 Small Jade Flakes.........................................................................196 6.2.4 Jade Bead Preform.......................................................................197 6.2.5 Broken/Unfinished Jade Bead......................................................198 v 6.2.6 Jade Hollow Drill Cores..............................................................198