There might be much more recent and closer to home examples of tools to strengthen the point.
I had the opportunity to visit Cahokia and the fabulous museum there. Of much interest were products available there from distant locations. Copper from Minnesota/Michigan, mica from North Carolina and shells from the Gulf and perhaps the Gulf of California. Also present were exhibits on two locations for the manufacture and repair of celts, stone axes used with a wood haft. There were a hundred or so in both of the shops
This was of interest to me because as a young man my uncle plowing on a Clinch River bottom in East Tennessee turned one up in excellent condition. I did some research for him and discovered one virtually identical for sale found a hundred miles or so north on the Clinch in South west Virginia. They seem identical to those being manufactured in the Cahokia shop.
When sites are found to be large, it’s safe to assume that there was an economic reason, until proven otherwise. :’)