A geochemical study of more than 500 obsidian artifacts from Maya sites in northwestern Belize has revealed major changes in ancient trade networks over several centuries.
The findings show that people at Chan Chich once obtained volcanic glass via exchange routes distinct from those used by nearby Maya communities. Those connections later shifted as Chan Chich became more closely tied to wider regional networks.
Lead author Bridgette Degnan and colleagues studied obsidian from Chan Chich, Gallon Jug and Kaxil Uinic. All three sites lie in the southeastern Three Rivers adaptive region of the Maya lowlands.
Researchers analyzed 507 artifacts using portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). The method allowed them to measure the chemical composition of each piece and compare it with known geological sources.
Because obsidian deposits do not occur naturally in the Maya lowlands, every piece had to arrive from elsewhere. The study traced artifacts to seven sources in Guatemala and central Mexico.
Chan Chich followed a different trade pattern
The strongest evidence came from Chan Chich, which provided most of the artifacts in the study. Researchers examined material covering the Late Preclassic, Early Classic, and Late Classic periods. During the Late Preclassic period, from about 400 B.C. to A.D. 250, 65% of the obsidian at Chan Chich came from San Martín Jilotepeque in Guatemala.
That pattern stands out because nearby communities relied heavily on another Guatemalan source, El Chayal. At Blue Creek, La Milpa and Dos Hombres, El Chayal accounted for more than 80% of Preclassic obsidian. The difference suggests Chan Chich residents participated in separate exchange networks despite living relatively close to those settlements.
Researchers said the pattern could reflect more decentralized access to obsidian during Chan Chich’s early development. The period also coincided with growing political complexity at the settlement, including monumental construction and the rise of early kingship.
Trade connections shifted during the Early Classic
A major change occurred during the Early Classic period, from about A.D. 250 to 600. Ixtepeque, another Guatemalan source, supplied about 82% of the obsidian analyzed from Chan Chich.
Once again, the pattern differed from much of the southern Maya lowlands. El Chayal had become the dominant source at many other settlements.
More than 500 Maya obsidian artifacts are revealing how ancient trade networks changed over centuries. Chemical analysis shows that Chan Chich shifted between sources in Guatemala before gaining obsidian from as far away as central Mexico. pic.twitter.com/rnRbVb0e2U
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) August 10, 2026
Ixtepeque obsidian may have reached communities through a different transportation network. Researchers said material from the source could move along the Motagua River to the Caribbean Sea and then travel north along coastal routes.
The evidence suggests Chan Chich remained connected to exchange systems that differed from those serving neighboring Three Rivers communities.
El Chayal became dominant in the Late Classic
The picture changed dramatically during the Late Classic period, from about A.D. 600 to 810. El Chayal supplied 86% of the obsidian at Chan Chich. By then, Chan Chich had joined a broader pattern seen across the Maya lowlands and other settlements in the Three Rivers region. The city also expanded significantly during this period.
Researchers found evidence that some obsidian blades were produced locally. Six flakes linked to the maintenance of blade-making cores were discovered in the North Plaza marketplace. Chemical analysis traced all six to El Chayal. The finding provides the first firm evidence of obsidian blade production at Chan Chich.
The Late Classic period also brought another important development. Obsidian from central Mexico appeared at Chan Chich for the first time.
Researchers identified material linked to sources in Pachuca, Tulancingo and Zacualtipán in Hidalgo, as well as Ucareo in Michoacán. Mexican obsidian remained uncommon, but its presence shows that Chan Chich had connections reaching far beyond the Maya lowlands.
Obsidian records centuries of Maya connections
The study shows that Maya trade was not controlled by a single, unchanging system. Exchange routes could differ between nearby communities and change as settlements grew politically and economically.
Chan Chich moved from strong connections with San Martín Jilotepeque to Ixtepeque before eventually relying mainly on El Chayal. Mexican obsidian later added another layer to its exchange network.
Researchers said the findings provide a foundation for studying how trade reflected political relationships, mobility and economic change across the Three Rivers region.
Obsidian represents only one part of the ancient Maya economy. But its distinctive chemical signatures allow archaeologists to follow materials across hundreds of miles and reconstruct connections that disappeared more than 1,000 years ago.
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