A Multimethod Approach to Sourcing Maya Lowland Chert Resources

Abstract Within the Maya region, chert artifacts remain one of the most common material types recovered from archaeological excavations and are a core line of evidence for reconstructing ancient economies. However, methods for sourcing of chert throughout Mesoamerica have been underutilized. Archaeologists need to understand how these artifacts moved within regional and local exchange networks and the influence particular source areas had over settlement patterns and economic development. Recent advances in chert provenance analysis provide an opportunity to revisit these research issues. We discuss the preliminary results of microscopic and geochemical analysis from recent geological sampling of northern Belize chert outcrops.