MARBLE SOURCES AND ARTIFACTS FROM THE ULUA VALLEY, HONDURAS

This study is the first and most important geochemical study of marble from Mesoamerica, demonstrating that individual marble sources may be identified by their physical and/or chemical characteristics. Marble sources are abundant in Honduras but are not known to occur elsewhere in Mesoamerica. Stable isotope analyses of 85 samples from 10 marble sources in the Ulua Valley of northeastern Honduras, and of samples from Terminal Classic (AD 900-1000) marble artifacts from Mesoamerica are presented.

The procurement of marble for artifact production began in the Formative period and apparently reached its height during the Terminal Classic period. The abundant marble vessels from the Ulua Valley are arguably the most intricate of all stone vessels from Mesoamerica. Our preliminary results suggest that a more detailed investigation of marble procurement strategies and the exchange of unique marble vessels from the Ulua Valley with the regions of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Belize is now feasible.