Rachel A Horowitz

The proposed project applies embedded and relational economic theory to social cohesion approaches to economic interactions to examine quotidian Classic period (200-800 CE) Maya economies. Embedded and relational economic studies provide an opportunity to examine the lived experiences of actors in past economic activities, which will be examined through lithic, or stone, tools. Specifically, this project explores how peoples of different socioeconomic statuses interacted through lithic economies. The project is based in the Mopan Valley of western Belize and draws on longstanding research on lithic economies, particularly the organization of technology, and novel methods for sourcing chert materials to create a model of the quotidian economy. This project will use geochemical sourcing, LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry), to trace the distribution of lithic tools in different stages of production, permitting a discussion of how materials were traded. This project will alter our understandings of past Maya economic organization, by tracing the use-lives of utilitarian tools to understand the relationships between individuals of different socio-economic statuses through lithic economies.