the ancient metateros may have done the same.filomeno gabriel mateo has only enough land to feed his family and a few animals. there is not enough to grow surplus produce to trade for other goods. interpreter: there's definitely not enough to sell, but the harvest does provide enough for the chickens and even the donkeys. we go and get firewood, and the donkey must be in good condition. also, we raise pigs. we may sell a pig, and we also bring in money from the sale of chickens. keach: between farming chores, filomeno and his uncle edmundo make manos and metates part-time. anything filomeno can do to cut production costs would be to his advantage, even to the point of making some of his own tools. production is just one aspect of specialization. another is distribution. filomeno must get his metates to market. the copan metateros faced a similar problem. for them, the solution was more difficult. an expert on ancient systems of transportation is ross hassig. mesoamerica had no wheels that were usable in any meaningful sense. they