Material study of green stone artifacts from a Teotihuacan complex

A material study of green stone artifacts from the Plaza de las Columnas complex at Teotihuacan reveals significant interregional interactions, particularly with the Maya area. The research, employing advanced imaging techniques and spectroscopies (FTIR, Raman), along with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and elemental analysis via XRF and SEM-EDS, identified a predominance of quartz-carbonate objects alongside rare materials like jadeite, albite, omphacite, and serpentine. These findings challenge previous assumptions about the complex's material sourcing and suggest a sophisticated network of trade or exchange with distant regions, particularly during Teotihuacan's height (100–250 CE). The study underscores the importance of multi-disciplinary approaches in unraveling the cultural and economic dynamics of ancient Mesoamerican civilizations.

Manrique-Ortega, M. D., Mitrani, A., Casanova-González, E., Pérez-Ireta, G., García-Bucio, M. A., Rangel-Chávez, I., Aguilar-Melo, V., de Lucio, O. G., Ruvalcaba-Sil, J. L., Sugiyama, N., & Sugiyama, S. (2020). Material study of green stone artifacts from a Teotihuacan complex. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 35(13), 1431–1445. https://doi.org/10.1080/10426914.2020.1743855