Late Classic Maya lithic production and exchange at Rio Bec and Calakmul, Mexico

Households at the Maya cities of Rio Bec and Calakmul, despite differing political structures, acquired lithic tools through similar networks during the Late Classic period (a.d. 650–800), suggesting that domestic economic practices were largely independent of centralized political power. The study distinguishes two types of chert biface production—market-based and itinerant craftsmanship—by analyzing experimental and quantitative data from household collections at both sites. This approach shifts the focus from elite workshops to everyday consumer behavior, offering new insights into Maya economic organization.

Andrieu, C. (2013). Late Classic Maya lithic production and exchange at Rio Bec and Calakmul, Mexico. Journal of Field Archaeology, 38(1), 21–37. https://doi.org/10.1179/0093469012z.00000000034