Unprecedented Survey of Aztec Obsidian Reveals Coast-to-Coast Trade Network
13 May 2025
By Carly Cassella
Unprecedented Survey of Aztec Obsidian Reveals Coast-to-Coast Trade Network
Obsidian artifact from the Mexico highlands, c. 1200 to 1500 CE. (Wikimedia Commons/CC0 1.0)
The Aztec Empire once hosted an expansive trade network that brought volcanic glass to its capital from right across Mesoamerica, coast to coast.
The largest compositional study of obsidian artifacts found in the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan has now revealed the far-flung influence of the Mexica culture – the largest and most powerful faction of the Aztec Alliance.
The 788 precious obsidian objects analyzed include weapons, urns, earrings, pendants, scepters, and decorated human skulls. They appear to have been sourced from across the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, even from the lands of rival governments.
The discovery speaks to the commercial prowess of the Aztec Empire at its peak.
The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. (Soleincitta/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0)
"This work not only highlights the Mexica Empire's reach and complexity but also demonstrates how the archaeological sciences can be leveraged to study ancient objects and what they can tell us about past cultural practices," says anthropologist Jason Nesbitt from Tulane University in the US.
The Aztec Empire is known to have used obsidian ubiquitously. This volcanic glass is harder than ordinary steel, fractures smoothly into an edge sharper than a razor blade, has a mirror-like quality when polished, and comes in a variety of beautiful colors.
More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/unprecedented-survey-of-aztec-obsidian-reveals-coast-to-coast-trade-network