Obsidian consumption at Wari

At the imperial capital of Wari, obsidian flakes were likewise found in domestic contexts and have been interpreted as "kitchen waste" as no specialized obsidian production sites were found at the site of Wari (Isbell, et al. 1991: 48; contra ;Stone 1983). In the funerary area of Wari known as the Cheqo Wasi sector the obsidian artifacts include a broken knife, 79 flakes (both utilized and unutilized), and two triangular fragments of obsidian with flat surfaces that may have been polished mirrors (Benavides 1991: 64).

At the Wari site of Pikillacta, in the valley of Cusco, evidence from obsidian flakes found in household compounds suggests that obsidian production took place at the household level. In the Haycuchina and Waska Waskan residential clusters, evidence of craft production consists of "waste flakes" of turquoise-colored stone, obsidian, and broken marine shell all collected from the surface (McEwan 1991: 99). Obsidian flakes were found in middens at Pikillacta along with both utilitarian and elite ceramics.