gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology

Jadeite pieces were widely distributed throughout the Maya region. Their geological source areas are located along the Motagua River valley, but there has been little research into which lapidary objects were crafted in the local workshops of this valley and which were exchanged as raw materials or finished objects. To address this gap, we carried out a technological analysis of the lapidary assemblages from Cancuén, El Perú-Waká, and La Corona, characterizing their patterns of manufacturing traces in order to identify and distinguish the styles and/or traditions represented. Comparison of the results obtained with the technologies identified at medium- and long-distance Maya sites, such as Palenque and Calakmul, has allowed us to review and discuss the models applied to the distribution of jade among the Maya Lowlands.