Lancets

Obsidian, a naturally formed glass of volcanic origins, was an important part of the material culture of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. more...

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Lithic and contextual analysis of obsidian, including source studies, are important components of archaeological studies of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures and inform scholars on economy, technological organization, long-distance trade and value, ritual organization, and socio-cultural structure.

Practical and Ritual Obsidian Use

Obsidian, called itzli in the Nahuatl language, has been found at nearly every Mesoamerican archaeological site. Items made from this material had both utilitarian and ritual use. In many areas, it was available to all households regardless of socio-economic status, and was used in hunting, agriculture, and for many other daily activities. Morphologically, obsidian was worked into a variety of tool forms, including knives, lance and projectile points, prismatic blades, general bifacial tools, and utilized flakes. Blades have been found in situ with rabbit, rodent, and mollusk remains, indicating their use in butchery. The practical use of obsidian is obvious considering that the material can be used to make some of the sharpest edges on earth. When skillfully worked, the edges of prismatic blade made from obsidian can reach the molecular level (i.e., the material has a cutting edge that is only one molecule thick).

Obsidian was also used in graves, at sacrifices, and in art. Some non-utilitarian forms are miniature human effigies, ear spools and labrets with gold and turquoise workings, carved animal figurines, beads, vases, and masks. Obsidian is frequently seen in the form of ritual blood-letting devices as well as buried in elite tombs and special deposits or caches. Debitage is found in many of these tombs in addition to evidence of obsidian use in temple dedications, potlaching, or offerings. For example, flakes have been found in association with stela offerings and related to specific gods at the Maya site of Tikal. Not only was obsidian associated with ritual at a presumed higher level with the community taking part and shamans or kings performing the actual ritual, but also at the household level. As mentioned before obsidian is very sharp and there is ample evidence of its use in animal butchery and food preparation at the domestic levels yet it was also incorporated into household ritual at later Classic and Epi-Classic sites such as Tula.

Lancet and prismatic blades are also found in frequent association with autosacrifice. While these lancets were more often sting ray spine, the obsidian versions still held the same ritual value as the spines themselves. These spines and obsidian lancets and razors were then used in ritual activity such as the common Mesoamerican practice of blood-letting. This act of blood-letting was seen in a variety of contexts, some with captives being cut and some with the ruler or shaman being cut or pierced to let blood. This act has been interpreted several different ways, in general the kings or shamans would pierce their ears, tongues, or genitals to let blood. This blood was then often collected in baskets with paper in them, then the blood soaked paper was burnt as an offering. The significance of this ritual is not as important as emphasising the role that obsidian played, as it was likely seen as a type of blood that came from the earth and therefore had a special connection with these blood-letting rituals (Evans, 2004). Obsidian was a highly integrated part of Mesoamerican daily and ritual life. This widespread and varied use may be a significant contributor to Mesoamerica's lack of metallurgy.

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