Researchers using trace-element geochemistry have uncovered a vast, 2,500-mile trade network connecting the Central Mexican Highlands to the Hopewell culture of the Mississippi River Valley. The study identified volcanic obsidian from the Pachuca region of Mexico at burial sites in present-day Ohio, alongside locally sourced mica fashioned into ritual objects.
The findings suggest that ancient North American trade was far more expansive and interconnected with Mesoamerican urban centers than previously realized. This 'Obsidian and Mica' road likely facilitated the exchange of not only luxury goods but also astronomical knowledge and agricultural techniques between the two distinct cultural spheres.