The Obsidian Blade Sequence at El Ujuxte, a Late Preclassic Site on the South Coast of Guatemala

C. Roger Nance, Jan De Leeuw
Systematic data on ca.1200 blades from this site were summarized in terms of three
ceramic phases (defined by Love 2002) for the same site. That is, we assigned blades to phases
based on the ceramic content of each provenience. Regular phase-by-phase decreases occurred
in blade dimensions, weights, and length:width ratios. We predicted these results based on
earlier findings from the site of La Blanca (Nance and Kirk 1991). The trend appears also within
the latest Pitahaya phase, even at the level of the excavation unit. Blade densities decrease
through Pitahaya deposits as well, and the blade sequence is discussed in terms of an increased
scarcity of obsidian or obsidian blades traded to the region.
2005-09-01