Petrographic analyses of chert artifacts and raw materials from Belize were carried out with the aim of determining if this technique might be useful for provenance studies. The types of chert variation that can be seen in thin-section are described and illustrated with photomicrographs. These include differences in grain size (microcrystalline, cryptocrystalline, and macrocrystalline), presence of chalcedony and quartz within the chert, inclusions of other minerals such as carbonates and hematite, and variations in microfossils present such as radiolaria and sponge spicules. -- AATA