![]() While In Guatemala for he has found several archaeological sites where they seem The sources have not be located, but you may wish to contact Juan Pedro Laporte ![]() Other stones need to be split to be seen. Good luck photographing these resources in the field. In Belize, I have streamsįull of pyrite that make them look like shimmering rivers of gold! Pretty wild! Minerals like pyrite and hematite are also found in a a matrix that usually has toīe separated from the true mineral itself to be seen. Water from their original sources either underground or from surrounding matrix). I should say that most of these materials are simply found as float (materialsįound in and around streams and rivers that have been moved by the movement of Limonite (used for yellow pigments), greenstones (like serpentine), high-qualityĬlays (common in specialized cave deposits used for high-quality ceramics), black Grinding stones), quartz, travertine, magnatite (used for black pigments), Others I would add are basalt (and other volcaniclastic rocks all used for Mesoamerica for this material only comes from volcanic areas (like Maya Mountains of Belize and Highlands of Guatemala). (fine and course grained) used for manos and metates and traded all around I would add a few more minerals to your list: in particular I would add granite SoĪgain, be careful and when in doubt grab yourself a good geologic handbook. "chert" in SE Guatemala is in fact "flint" a different geologic composition. So-called "chert" of Belize is in fact chemically "chert" whereas some of the So you may wish to keep that in mind.Īlso, chert and flint or two different geologic minerals. Vases from Honduras) are in fact made of travertine. Most of the stone artifacts thought to be alabaster (including many of the Uula Recent geologic work by several noted geologists has revealed that Here are his comments on archaeo-mineralogy.Īs for your list of resources, it is very important to keep in mind thatĪlabaster, while used by various cultures in Mesoamerica, has traditionally beenĬonfused by archaeologists with travertine (cave flow stones: stalagmites and But I recently spoke with a person in Guatemala knowledgeable about local minerals and she said that a small amount of green obsidian was available in Guatemala naturally.Ĭomments by archaeologist Dr Phil Wanyerka, Cleveland State University.ĭr Wanyerka, in addition to being a leading epigrapher of Mayan hieroglyphic writing, also has general archaeological field experience, especially in Belize. When I visited those mines over a decade ago I was impressed how extensive they were. The site featured a sophisticated water drainage system and a wealth of sculptured monuments.Green obsidian comes from Pachuca, far away in Mexico. While some of these were natural features, others were artificial constructions requiring an enormous investment in labour and materials. Takalik Abaj was a sizeable city with the principal architecture clustered into four main groups spread across nine terraces. Takalik Abaj was linked to long-distance Maya trade routes that shifted over time but allowed the city to participate in a trade network that included the Guatemalan highlands and the Pacific coastal plain from Mexico to El Salvador. ![]() įinds from the site indicate contact with the distant metropolis of Teotihuacan in the Valley of Mexico and imply that Takalik Abaj was conquered by it or its allies. Excavation is continuing at the site the monumental architecture and persistent tradition of sculpture in a variety of styles suggest the site was of some importance. The site includes a Maya royal tomb and examples of Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions that are among the earliest from the Maya region. Takalik Abaj is representative of the first blossoming of Maya culture that had occurred by about 400 BC. Responsible body: Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes / Proyecto Nacional Tak'alik Ab'aj Miguel Orrego Corzo Marion Popenoe de Hatch Christa Schieber de Lavarreda Claudia Wolley Schwarz El Asintal, Retalhuleu Department, Guatemala ![]()
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