Economy and Trade
Takalik Abaj was one of a series of early sites on or near the Pacific coastal plain that were important commercial, ceremonial and political centres. It is apparent that it prospered from the production of cacao and from the trade routes that crossed the region. At the time of the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century the area was still important for its cacao production.
Study of obsidian recovered at Takalik Abaj indicates that the majority originated from the El Chayal and San Martín Jilotepeque sources in the Guatemalan highlands. Lesser quantities of obsidian originated from other sources such as Tajumulco, Ixtepeque and Pachuca. Obsidian is a natural volcanic glass that was used across Mesoamerica to make durable tools and weapons including knives, spearheads, arrowheads, bloodletters for ritual autosacrifice, prismatic blades for woodwork and many other day-to-day tools. The use of obsidian by the Maya has been likened to steel use in the modern world and it was widely traded throughout the Maya region and beyond. The proportion of obsidian from different sources varied over time:
| Period | Date | No. of artifacts | El Chayal % | San Martín Jilotepeque % | Pachuca % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Preclassic | 1000–800 BC | 151 | 33.7 | 52.3 | – |
| Middle Preclassic | 800–300 BC | 880 | 48.6 | 39 | – |
| Late Preclassic | 300 BC – AD 250 | 1848 | 54.3 | 32.5 | – |
| Early Classic | AD 250–600 | 163 | 50.9 | 35.5 | – |
| Late Classic | AD 600–900 | 419 | 41.7 | 45.1 | 1.19 |
| Postclassic | AD 900–1524 | 605 | 39.3 | 43.4 | 4.2 |
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