Inferring the symbolic significance of obsidian in the prehispanic Andes involves approaching the topic from a several lines of evidence because there are few direct indicators of valuation and symbolic meaning of obsidian in the Andes. Below, these issues are raised as a series of questions that may, or may not, be answered with archaeological evidence from the region:

(1) How did the symbolic importance of obsidian change through prehistory?

(2) Do changes in use of obsidian reflect local geographic availability?

(3) Did the visual properties of obsidian resonate with Andean aesthetic traditions?

(4) Was there social significance in the visible differences between major obsidian types?

Part of the difficulty in inferring the symbolic properties of obsidian is the result of a relative reduction in the importance of obsidian during the Late Horizon and Colonial period, to judge from ethnohistoric accounts. Ethnohistoric sources are a prime source of information, although through Spanish eyes, of cultural significance and symbolic value in the prehispanic Andean world. Despite the apparent decline of obsidian use in the late Prehispanic and Colonial periods, archaeological distributions suggest that obsidian had substantial cultural and ceremonial associations in particular contexts during in Prehispanic times.