Course:EOSC311/2020/Analysis of Artefact Collection in the Mayan Era

Here I will be discussing artifact analysis and how archaeologists use these artifacts to gain insight on a certain topic or certain people. I will be focussing on obsidians and the tools that were made out of it which is now analyzed as artifacts for the Mayans. Also, how archaeologists can use this to gain information on the Mayans and how they lived centuries ago.

Statement of connection and why you chose it

I will be discussing how Geology correlates with my major anthropology, but more specifically, archaeology (which is a sub field of anthropology) . The two fields are very similar and both use artifacts in order to gain information and knowledge regarding what they are analyzing. This information then tells us about the past so we can learn more about the present, which has been an ongoing narrative throughout this course.

Archaeology and Geology

Archaeology and Geology are two fields that intersect for the fact that these fields are very similar, 'Archaeological geology was a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field in which archaeologists and geologists attempt to use the tenets of both their sciences to solve problems of mutual interest'. Since the two fields can help each other to reach similar goals, the term Geoarchaeology can best describe this. Both fields want to discover and analyze objects or things in order to better understand our past, which can tell us more about the present.

Artifacts: What Are They and How Do We Analyze Them?

Here I will provide a brief overview and explanation of artifacts and how archaeologists analyze them in order to gain information about that period of time, 'Most archaeological analysis, however, consists of the examination and explication of phenomena that resulted from “experiments” over which we had no control, and which took place centuries ago'. As previously mentioned, the main focus is on things that happened centuries ago. We want to be able to gain knowledge on the past to better understand our future.

An example of what an excavation site might look like for an archaeologist

A map of the areas in which the Mayans lived

Archaeologists and Geologists have a lot to take into consideration when they are excavating, 'Having decided what kinds of “facts” we want, how do we measure them? At what level of detail do we stop measuring? We are always sampling and deciding what kinds of data to collect or ignore'. For my example, the data they would be focussed on is obsidians. It is important in these excavations sites that there be a main objective for exactly what the archaeologist is looking for and how they will interpret this information 'A research design is an explicit plan by which an investigator ensures that the research will accomplish its objectives'. Artifacts act like a type of record to show what occurred in a specific region during a period of time, 'Like the fossil left behind after the soft parts of the body have decomposed, artefacts act as a residual record of work done and work in progress; in and of themselves, they form a resource for analysis'. In other words, a record of human activity. If we can understand what activity took place centuries ago, it could also explain why we do things the way we do in society today, 'Artefacts are a central part of several conceptual and theoretical frameworks and are a ubiquitous feature in field studies reporting human activity'. Now that we know what an artifact is and how they are used to help researchers, we can understand how obsidians are used to gather information on the Mayans.

Mayans (A Brief History)

Mayans were originally located in what we know today as Guatemala. They were at their most influential around the 'Pre-classic period' (1800 B.C. to A.D. 250). Mayans were one of the most dominant groups in Mesoamerica, 'The Maya are an indigenous group tied both to their distant past as well as to events of the last several hundred years'. Mayans took advantage of the resources around them which included limestone as well as volcanic rock obsidians. To this day, it is still debated what caused the dramatic decline in the Mayan population.

Obsidians

What is an obsidian?

This is an obsidian rock

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is formed when lava cools in a volcanic dome (see image).

Where are they found?

Obsidians occur in volcanoes where the magma is rich in silica. It is typically associated with the domes of a volcanic rock. The obsidian then cracks which is referred to as a conchoidal fracture, due to the lack of mineral crystals in it. This result in a very sharp surface (which is why it is so great for using it as a tool). The best quality of obsidian forms below the ground surface around volcanic vents.

What did Mayans use them for?

Obsidians were used by the Mayans to make blades, arrows and swords for hunting and protection purposes.

What can obsidians tell us?

Obsidians that are discovered and analyzed by archaeologists are able to tell us about Mayans and their ways of life. It can provide us with information regarding how they used obsidians (i.e through the discovery of tools that were made from it) and it can even tell us about trading routes and migration, 'In the last two decades, chemical compositions of obsidian artifacts have proven highly useful to geo-archaeologists seeking to reconstruct the nature of ancient Mayan supply routes and trade networks in Mesoamerica'. Through this new information, we are able to understand how Mayans once lived and can use this to gain insight on how it led us to our ways of life now.

An example of how obsidians were shaped in order to use them as tools

Research has found that, 'The 2 sources of obsidian that are thought to have been the major suppliers of the volcanic glass in pre-Columbian times, El Chayal and Ixtepeque, were studied in some detail'. Evidently, studying obsidians for information on Mayans is something that has been researched for quite some time now.

Dating Obsidians

An example of a volcanic area where obsidian is found

Researchers have a number of techniques in order to date the obsidian tools that have been excavated from their sites. For example, 'From the observed chemical composition data the obsidian from Wild Cane Cay derives both from Ixtepeque (- 82 %) and from El Chayal (- 18 %), which indicates that the coastal and overland trade route networks linked up at this ideal natural harbor. Its nodal function in Mayan trade is confirmed by the quantities of exotic materials, including jade, Plumbate and Tulum Red pottery, and copper artifacts found on site, even though it is structurally unimpressive and physically tiny'. This is a perfect example of how archaeologists were able to employ their techniques in order to confirm the trade routes of the Mayans by using data from the obsidians to understand their ways of life.

Conclusion / Your Evaluation of the Connections

Throughout this project and research I was able to learn that archaeology and geology are actually very similar fields in many ways. At its base level, both fields use data and artifacts to analyze a specific phenomena that they are researching in order to gain knowledge on what happened in the past. It became evident that geologists could greatly help archaeologists as per my example of obsidians which is dealing with volcanic matter and minerals, which is what geologists are concerned with. It seems as though the two fields working together can produce a great deal of insight and information regarding the research of events from the past. At an excavation site, an archaeologist has to dig into the ground or in some situations, into the soil, which is more concerned with geologists as they study sedimentation. Overall, this has helped me gain a great understanding of what is involved in the process of artifact collection and analysis. Going forward in my Anthropology degree, I will be able to have a wider depth of knowledge and understanding for my field.

References

This Earth Science resource was created by Course:EOSC311.