Chivay obsidian at Qillqatani is first found in the Late Archaic level WXXX dated to 5620±120 (Beta-43927; 4800-4200 BCE). The Chivay material is the second oldest obsidian fragment identified from Qillqatani (SectionX3.4.2X), the oldest obsidian is from an as-yet unknown source. Notably, the assemblages from the Qillqatani excavations do not begin to contain obsidian from the Chivay source until considerably later date than did the excavations from Asana.XFigure 3-7Xreveals that both obsidian tools and debris increase as a percentage of the assemblage in the Late Archaic. The counts of obsidian, however, are still relatively low.
Qillqatani is slightly further away than Asana than from the Chivay source, and it is at a higher altitude and further to the east. It has been suggested that perhaps the obsidian was transported via a coastal route at this early date (Frye, et al. 1998). As mentioned, Alca obsidian was also found on the coast in the Terminal Pleistocene levels although, like Chivay, Alca obsidian distributions conform over the long term to a highlands orientation. As no Chivay obsidian as ever been found below the 1250 masl (at Omo), and all Archaic Period Chivay obsidian is found above 3000 masl, the littoral route between Chivay and Asana seems improbable.