Mesoamerican Obsidian Prismatic Blade

Timeline

1. c. -1500–-400Central Mexican Highlands · Valley of MexicoDuring the Olmec and later Teotihuacan periods, artisans mastered the technique of detaching regular prismatic blades from obsidian cores; the blades were used for agriculture, butchery, and ritual cutting.
2. 200–900Pachuca and Otumba · HidalgoSpecialized prismatic blade workshops appeared in Teotihuacan and the Maya region; Pachuca green obsidian and gray obsidian were detached and shipped in bulk across Mesoamerica, with discarded cores and blade flakes commonly found at archaeological sites.
3. 900–1500Mesoamerica · MesoamericaIn the Postclassic, obsidian prismatic blades became major trade goods; the Aztec Empire obtained Pachuca blades through tribute and market networks for daily labor, sacrificial bloodletting, and inlaying warrior daggers.
4. 1521Mexico · MexicoAfter the Spanish colonization, metal tools gradually replaced stone blades in daily use, but prismatic blade-knapping techniques survived in some indigenous communities; since the 20th century, archaeological excavation of core sites has deepened understanding of Mesoamerican lithic industries.