Ulua marble vases are the most elaborate goods produced in a long history of marble carving traditions in the Lower Ulua Valley of Honduras. Produced between A.D. 600-1000, the vases mark the emergence of a high-status group, which exchanged the vases with communities in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and the Maya Lowlands. This study examines the sources used to produce the vases in relationship to the location and significance of Late Classic settlements.

Results from stable isotope and petrographic analysis of ten sources from the Ulua Valley indicate that marble and limestone are abundant in the  region. Carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of marble vessels suggests a southern procurement zone in the Ulua Valley, while petrographic research demonstrates that marble used to produce the vases is derived from Cretaceous rocks believed to be located on the western slope. This paper discusses the benefits of a multi-method approach to marble sourcing. The most current results of our analyses of geological and archaeological samples in this continuing study will be presented.