Obsidian Use in Prehispanic Mexico

Shortly after returning to our home in San Jose, California from our honeymoon, my wife, Maria, showed her Mexican born parents a solitary arrowhead that I was thrilled to have found in the Grand Tetons. As blase’ as could be, her mother said “in Churintzio those are all over the place.” Well, after we moved to Churintzio, Michoacan in the Western Central Highlands of Mexico about two years later, to my immense incredulity and joy this collector and rockhound discovered that her statement was literally accurate.

In the trails, hills, fields, canyons, and dry creek beds of Churintzio and nearby Zinaparo (“zinapo” being the local word for obsidiana) are to be found a plethora of not only at least 500 year old obsidian arrowheads, both in fragments and intact, but numerous other kinds of indigenous flaked and carved obsidian artifacts. Now, four years after coming to this mother lode of rough obsidian and obsidian artifact locale, I have hundreds of specimens in my work in progress collection. So, that got me to ask and to ultimately research as to what were all of these artifacts used for in prehispanic Mexico and in the rest of Mesoamerica?

First of all, what is obsidian and why was that the material of choice for so many objects? Obsidian, technically not a rock or a mineral, is a form of natural volcanic glass produced by the cooling of molten lava too quickly to allow for crystallization. Most commonly black and opaque, in my area I have also found rough obsidian and obsidian artifacts crafted from brown, grey, mahogany, rainbow, gold sheen, silver sheen, and quite sought after green obsidian. Although found in various regions of Mexico, vast outcroppings of obsidian are most abundant in certain source locations in Western Central, Central, and Southern Mexico. Harder than window glass and harder than even steel, it fractures smoothly and, having the potential to be one of the sharpest natural materials on earth, can produce murderously sharp points and blades.

Known as “itzli” in the Nahuatl language, obsidian was, until the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519 with their guns, cannons, and swords made of steel, the ultimate in technology for the needs of the advanced yet stone age Aztec civilization. In fact, obsidian was so plentiful, useful, malleable, and effective for the indigenous peoples of Mexico that they never saw a reason to advance beyond that technology- until it was too late! A valued trade item, utilized by both the Mesoamerican elites and hoi polloi, obsidian was a highly integrated part of their societies’ daily and ritual life.

Obsidian’s utilitarian applications were many: for warfare; for ritualist blood-letting and for worship; for animal and human sacrifices; for hunting; for animal butchery; for agriculture; and for household usage. Examples of functional flaked/napped obsidian items include swords, knives, arrowheads, lances, spearheads, intricately designed and lethal macuahuitli clubs, razors, dart points, machete-like blades, woodworking tools, hide skinning and butchery tools, bone working tools, and household pounding/grinding implements. Around their necks and on their toes, Mesoamerican rulers, as objects of power and divination, wore reflective, and, in this case, transluscent obsidian mirror discs in an attempt to look into the future and to connect with the realm of the gods; consequently, obsidian became enmeshed into Aztec religion as well as its culture’s functional adaptations.

By grinding, pecking, and or carving many jewelry and decorative items were produced from obsidian. These include animal figurines (for example I have found owl, dog, and snake figurines on or near the surface of hillsides), prestigious ear spools worn by the elites, labrets/lip ornaments, beads, buttons, miniature human effigies used for grave/burial purposes, vases, bowls, and masks. Moreover, this volcanic glass was used for the artistic creation of stela/monuments, other large carvings and sculptures, and in architectural murals.

Virtually on a daily basis as I hike while appreciating various forms of sentient and non-sentient nature, even with my head normally gazing upwards and oftentimes skyward as I do a lot of birding-without purposefully doing so- I come across some sort or another of obsidian artifact(s). When purposely looking for artifacts, my collection can continually grow astoundingly fast! At least now I can fathom how this glassy substance had become of such importance to the Mesoamerican societies, from as far back as circa 21,000 BC, that it has been compared to the importance and significance of steel in modern civilization. Therefore, unlike my pragmatic mother-in-law, no matter how many samples that I come upon- fragmented or not- I could never become jaded about obsidian and the objects that were crafted from it so many centuries ago.