A combined visual-geochemical approach to establishing provenance for pegmatite quartz artifacts

A technique for establishing source provenance for pegmatite quartz artifacts was developed using a quarry sample from the Churchill River basin of northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to quantify Ti, Ge, Th, and U trace element concentrations and Pb isotope ratios, coupled with qualitative visual characteristics to distinguish between pegmatite quartz from different archaeologically exploited sources in the Churchill River basin region. The technique was also applied to a small sample of quartz artifacts recovered from sites in and around the study area in a preliminary attempt to assign or rule out raw material provenance to characterized sources.     

Oldowan behavior and raw material transport: perspectives from the Kanjera Formation

The archaeological record of Oldowan hominins represents a diverse behavioral system. It has been suggested that exploitation of lithic resources by Oldowan hominins was simplistic and represented mostly use of local sources of stone. Here we investigate the raw material selection and transport behaviors of Oldowan hominins reflected in the stone artifact assemblages from the Kanjera South Formation, South Rachuonyo District, Kenya. Using geochemical methods (ED-XRF) artifacts are linked to primary and secondary source outcrops throughout southwestern Kenya. These data show that hominins selected raw materials for transport at frequencies that are significantly different from their availability on ancient landscapes. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of the assemblage represents transport over relatively long distances (>10 km). Our study further suggests that in the early stages of stone tool use hominins used a wide variety of raw materials and selected these materials at some distance from their eventual discard locations. Early hominin behavior may have incorporated an understanding of raw material source distributions across a more extensive landscape than has been previously documented. This supports the growing perspective that Oldowan technology represents a more complex behavioral pattern than is usually associated with the beginnings of hominin tool use.     

Systematic Reworking of Lithics from Earlier Cultures in the Early Holocene of Dakhleh Oasis,Egypt

Abstract

A raw material form scarcely mentioned in the literature on lithic production—chipped stone artifacts manufactured by members of still earlier cultures—is used for a substantial portion of the toolkits in certain industries of Dakhleh Oasis, south-central Egypt. In one group of early Holocene (Masara) sites, the majority of double patinated tools are chunky burins, systematically manufactured from Levallois flakes and similar thick-sectioned older artifacts. Since fresh chert and other workable stone is available in the area, it appears that old, recycled lithics constitute the preferred raw material for these tool classes. The sites in question seem to be field camps where the burins were both made and used.     

指纹元素分析对南宋郊坛官窑的起源研究

选取30个南宋官瓷样品、2个效坛官窑的原料、紫金土和4个现代仿官瓷样品进行中子活化分析（NAA）,测定每个样品中36种微量元素的含量。从这36种元素中挑选出9种指纹元素的含量进行散布分析。结果表明：南宋官窑的釉料和胎料产地明显不同;南宋官窑有着长期稳定的釉料和胎料产地;遗址缸内的原料（35#）、练泥池内的原料（36#）、紫金土（37#）既不同于古官瓷的釉料,也不同于胎料。练泥地内的原料（36#）比较接近于胎料。现代官瓷的釉料和胎料与古官瓷的明显不同,说明它们的产地不同。     

Raw material availability,flaking quality,and hunter–gatherer technological decision making in northern Tierra del Fuego Island (southern South America)

The technological organization and lithic raw material procurement of Holocene hunter–gatherers have been topics of considerable interest in northern Tierra del Fuego Island. Ongoing archaeological investigations indicate that most of the rocks employed by native human populations came from secondary deposits of fluvio-glacial and marine origin. However, a primary geological source for two distinctive lithologies has been recently discovered near the Chorrillo Miraflores Valley (Tierra del Fuego, Chile). These raw materials became the focus of further research since one of them (a silicified tuff) has been identified in several archaeological sites of Tierra del Fuego. Some of these sites are located more than a hundred kilometers away from the source. A regional survey of potential lithic sources along with petrographic and geochemical analyses confirmed that the silicified tuff is only available at Chorrillo Miraflores. Here we present the technological analysis of artifacts manufactured on Miraflores silicified tuff that were recovered from the Argentine portion of northern Tierra del Fuego composed of Espíritu Santo and San Sebastian Capes. The role of utilitarian currencies in the prehistoric use of this lithology is assessed through the application of the Metcalfe and Barlow (1992) field processing model. The results show that this raw material may not have been exclusively selected for its flaking quality, although an alternative functional efficiency hypothesis is also introduced. Finally, its spatially restricted availability as well as unique macroscopic aspect suggests its selection and use may have been mainly influenced by social factors.     

Sources of archaeological dacite in northern New Mexico

For years archaeologists in New Mexico, particularly in the northern Rio Grande region have noticed a very fine-grained what appeared to be mafic or basalt raw material source in late Paleoindian and Archaic contexts in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Indeed, a number of Folsom, Cody, Plainview, and Archaic bifaces are produced from this material. It appeared that there were at least two possible very fine-grained volcanics that could be the sources for these raw materials – San Antonio Mountain in far northern New Mexico, in the Taos Plateau Volcanic Field, and Cerros del Rio, on the east side of Bandelier National Monument right above the Rio Grande. After reconnaissance collections at the two probable sources, the short story is that the vast majority of “basalt” artifacts were indeed produced from one of these sources, but they are petrologically dacite and silicic volcanic rocks. An additional dacite source, called here the “Newman Dome”, also in the Taos Plateau Volcanic Field was discovered in the 1980s, but remained mainly discussed in the gray literature by CRM archaeologists. Examination of various Paleoindian and Archaic collections from the northern and middle Rio Grande indicates a strong preference for this silicic rock for the production of chipped stone tools, and in concert with obsidian source provenance studies has increased our ability to reconstruct procurement and range in these preceramic periods. These high-alkali dacite sources are easily discriminated with their trace element compositions, and based on this study, procurement seems to be dominantly restricted to these three sources in the region. Here I discuss the petrology, geochemistry, and some of the archaeological issues of these sources and their utility in the Southwest archaeological endeavor in an effort to bring these important prehistoric raw materials into the published realm.     

Moving sources: A preliminary study of volcanic glass artifact distributions in northeast China using PXRF

Recent studies have highlighted the long-distance transport of obsidian from the Paektusan (Tianchi or Baitoushan in Chinese) volcano on the border between China and North Korea to eastern Russia and Korea, but little is known about the role of the local population in the production and movement or exchange of this important raw material. This paper addresses this data lacuna by presenting sourcing results of 440 artifacts from 18 Late Paleolithic sites located in northeast China. A portable XRF enabled rapid non-destructive characterization of samples. The results show that although Paektusan obsidian was widely transported throughout northeast Asia, material from at least three other sources was also used. In particular, we highlight the significance of basaltic glass artifacts with the same geochemistry as sources found in the Primorye region of Far East Russia in sites from northeast China. This result indicates a two-way movement of volcanic glass artifacts between Primorye and the northeast of China rather than a unidirectional long-distance exchange system originating from Paektusan Volcano.     

Recent Research on Obsidian from Missouri Archaeological Sites

Obsidian has been noted at archaeological sites in the Midwest for over 160 years, although very few artifacts made from this material are recorded in archaeological contexts in Missouri. Background research revealed that only 16 obsidian artifacts from 13 sites had been documented from the state and that only 5 of the specimens had been geochemically analyzed and attributed to a source. Recent excavations at the Droste site (23PI1291), a Late Woodland period site in northeast Missouri, yielded two obsidian artifacts. The two specimens from the Droste site along with two previously unsourced obsidian artifacts from the Burkemper site (23LN104) and two from the Stapleton site (23HD110) were tested for trace element composition via X-ray fluorescence analysis. This article reports the results of these geochemical analyses, reviews the other obsidian artifacts reported from Missouri, and examines the cultural context and source of obsidian artifacts from other states in the upper Midwest.     

Exploitation of Lithic Raw Material in The Northwestern Caucasus Upper Paleolithic

Sources of lithic raw material discovered by the authors are described with special regard to methods of transporting stone to Upper Paleolithic sites in the northwestern Caucasus. The analysis of obsidian artifacts suggests that materials were imported from remote regions such as the central and South Caucasus, evidencing mobility patterns in the Upper Paleolithic.     

Through the High Rock and beyond: placing the Last Supper Cave and Parman Paleoindian lithic assemblages into a regional context

Based on source provenance data derived from Paleoindian artifacts in the Great Basin, most researchers agree that early groups were mobile and far-ranging; however, current explanations of the behavior reflected by those data differ. Some models portray Paleoindians as residentially-mobile foragers while others portray them as wetland-tethered collectors reliant upon logistical forays. We consider the types of hunter-gatherer behavior that could produce trends in the X-ray fluorescence data from three Paleoindian assemblages in northwest Nevada, where abundant high quality obsidian essentially allows us to hold the effects of raw material availability constant between sites. We conclude that while it is difficult to differentiate between residential and logistical mobility using technological and sourcing data alone, we can nevertheless begin to understand the relative time-averaged importance of particular locations on the landscape and why such places attracted Paleoindians.     

Flint procurement strategies in the Late Lower Palaeolithic recorded by in situ produced cosmogenic 10Be in Tabun and Qesem Caves (Israel)

The in situ produced cosmogenic beryllium isotope, ¹⁰Be, in flint artifacts from different layers in prehistoric caves can provide information on flint procurement. The buildup of ¹⁰Be in a flint matrix is related to the exposure time of the flint to cosmic rays. Although this exposure history can be complex, the ¹⁰Be content of flint assemblages can show whether the raw material was obtained from shallow mining and/or surface collection as opposed to sediments two or more meters below the surface. Flint artifact assemblages from two Palaeolithic caves in Israel, Tabun and Qesem, were analyzed.In Tabun cave the flint artifacts from Lower Layer E (Acheulo-Yabrudian, around 400 000–200 000 yr) contain very small amounts of ¹⁰Be, which is consistent with flint procured from sediments two or more meters deep. Artifacts from above and below Tabun Lower Layer E show a more complex distribution, as do artifacts from all layers of Qesem cave (Acheulo-Yabrudian). This is probably due to the fact that they were surface collected and/or mined from shallow (less than 2 m) depths. We show here that artifact assemblages have different concentrations of ¹⁰Be, indicating different raw material procurement strategies.     

Projectile points,people, and Plains Paleoindian perambulations

Archaeologists generally agree that Paleoindian residential groups moved regularly over extremely large ranges. However, on the Great Plains, this argument depends substantially on datasets derived largely or entirely from projectile points rather than from systematic analysis of a wide range of artifacts. This paper argues that projectile points differ from most Paleoindian tools in ways that make such datasets unlikely to be reliable sources of information on range sizes. Furthermore, evidence from Paleoindian tool caches and the condition of discarded points suggest strongly that the raw material used to produce projectile points at least sometimes moved across the Plains independently of material used to make most other kinds of flaked stone tools. This, in turn, implies that not all stone used during Paleoindian times was procured by visits of whole residential groups to raw material sources, raising serious questions about the validity of widespread views of Paleoindian mobility.     

Upper Paleolithic raw material economies at Üçağızlı cave, Turkey

This paper addresses variation in lithic raw material economy within the early Upper Paleolithic at Üçağızlı cave (south-central Turkey). The stratigraphic sequence documents some 12,000 years of the early Upper Paleolithic, entailing changes in lithic technology, raw material exploitation, and game use. Although the same lithic raw materials were exploited throughout the sequence to make quite similar ranges of products, there are marked changes in the ways raw materials from different source areas were treated, including patterns of transport and raw material consumption. The concept of technological provisioning is used to understand changing strategies for procuring and managing supplies of flint from different source locations. Shifts in raw material economy are argued to represent responses to changes in residential mobility and the scale/duration of occupations at the cave itself: data on cultural features and foraging strategies provide independent evidence for these shifts in land use. Results have implications for more nuanced approaches to investigating of lithic raw material economies and the significance of “raw material transfers.”     

吉林省和龙西沟发现的旧石器

2006年6月发现,该地点位于和龙市龙城镇西沟村西南,距西沟村约800米的Ⅳ级侵蚀阶地上。在地表采集石器102件,包括石核、石片、石叶、断片、断块、废片、1类工具、2类工具和3类工具。原料以黑曜岩为主,占69.61%,其次是石英、石英岩、凝灰岩、板岩等。属于以小石器为主体的工业向以细石器为主体的工业过渡的类型。推测该地点年代为旧石器时代晚期。     

Sources of lithic material procurement in Estancia La Suiza archeological locality (San Luis, Argentina)

The present study is the first step in the elaboration of a regional base of lithic resources for an area located in the northeastern San Luis province, Argentina. Within this area lies the Estancia La Suiza archeological locality, near the hills of Sierra de la Estanzuela, where prehistoric quarry workshops have been identified. The main objective of this work was to explore the use of the different raw materials by prehistoric groups. The general geological setting of the hills of Sierra de la Estanzuela is described, and a distribution of raw material in the area is proposed. The principal sources of lithic material procurement representing the archeological record were identified, and lithic types were quantified and classified. Finally, the lithic material recovered from the Estancia La Suiza 2 quarry was characterized; the results show that the artifacts correspond to the earliest stages of production.     

Raw material quality and Oldowan hominin toolstone preferences: evidence from Kanjera South,Kenya

The role of raw material quality in Oldowan technology has not been fully explored. There are numerous studies suggesting Oldowan hominins preferred certain types of stone for artifact manufacture. Previous studies of the artifact assemblage from the early Pliocene Oldowan locality of Kanjera South (South Rachuonyo District, Kenya) show that raw material selection and transport was an important aspect of Late Pliocene hominin adaptations. Yet the exact properties of stones that hominins were selecting remain enigmatic. Two potentially important features of artifact raw material are durability and fracture predictability. We investigate fracture predictability through mechanical tests of stone and investigations of the affect of stone properties on fracture patterns in archaeological collections. We investigate stone durability with actualistic studies of edge attrition combined with further mechanical tests of various lithologies. Oldowan hominins at Kanjera appear to have selected raw materials based on their durability. The ability for a stone to fracture consistently does not appear to be as important in hominin toolstone preference as previously assumed. Hominins that produced the assemblages at Kanjera South appear to have incorporated an extensive understanding of various attributes of raw material in the transport and production of stone artifacts. When combined with previous research on the transport patterns at Kanjera, the results of this study provide evidence for a more complex raw material acquisition strategy than has previously been suggested for Late Pliocene Oldowan hominins.     

An empirical evaluation of copper procurement and distribution: elemental analysis of Scioto Valley Hopewell copper

In prehistoric North America, artifacts of copper occupy a position of prominence in the Hopewell societies of Ohio’s Scioto Valley. These artifacts also represent the social contacts and long-distance interactions that brought copper to the Scioto Valley. Yet, our understanding of Hopewell copper acquisition, and the movement of copper artifacts within the social networks of the Scioto Valley and beyond, has been limited due to the limited availability of geochemical data concerning provenance and variability. We begin to develop the foundation for understanding these important social issues by analyzing the elemental variability of Hopewell copper through the use of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We analyze 24 samples from four known copper source regions and 52 samples from 6 prominent sites in the Scioto Valley. Results suggest that a majority of the artifacts are consistent with sources in the Great Lakes, with a plurality classified as Isle Royale. However, 21% of Scioto Hopewell copper artifacts were most consistent with southern Appalachian sources. High elemental variability argues against simple models of copper acquisition and suggests that different social groups had access to a variety of copper sources through varying social networks. Native copper regardless of source seems to have been channeled along similar social and symbolic pathways. Our results suggest that instead of being derived from the struggle to access a specific source, value is derived from the social relationships represented by the copper and the connotation of exotic connection embodied in both style and material.     

A cost surface model of volcanic glass quarrying and exchange in Hawai‘i

The spatial distribution of artifacts from the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a volcanic glass source (North Kona District, Hawai‘i Island) shows a pattern of direct access by those living in the immediately vicinity of the source with subsequent down-the-line exchange. Most quarrying and exchanges likely occurred within a single day’s travel from sites where artifacts were deposited. The exception to this is the discovery of non-local direct access evident in assemblages from the extreme southern end of Hawai‘i Island; these visits may have involved voyages by canoe. While people did not often travel far for volcanic glass they nonetheless appear to have had unfettered accessed to source material and freely conducted inter-community exchanges. This implies volcanic glass was treated as a common pooled resource and the existence of informal exchange relationships.     

Possible obsidian sources for artifacts from Timor: narrowing the options using chemical data

Measurements made at the Australian National University using laser ablation ICPMS show that none of the 88 analyzed obsidian artifacts from East Timor match either the known Papua New Guinea or the five Island SE Asian source samples in our ANU collections. There is a coastal journey of more than 3000 km between the occurrence of obsidians from the Bismarck Archipelago volcanic province of Papua New Guinea and the Sunda-Banda Arc volcanic chain, yet obsidian artifacts from the two important PNG sources of Talasea and Lou Island are found at coastal Bukit Tengkorak in eastern Sabah at a similar distance along with material that has no known source. Timor lies south of the eastern section of the active volcanic Banda Arc island chain but it is within range of possible rhyolite sources from there. Although there is a continuous chain of around 60 active volcanoes stretching from west Sumatra to the Moluccas most are basaltic to andesitic with few areas likely to produce high silica dacite–rhyolite deposits. This does not exclude the possibility that the volcanic landscapes may contain obsidian, but without detailed survey and chemical analysis of sources from the Sunda-Banda Arc the attribution of the Timor obsidian artifacts remains to be demonstrated. Timor may seem to be an unlikely source for the presence of obsidians as it lacks reports of the silica-rich rhyolite volcanic centers necessary to produce this material. Despite the absence of detailed survey and analysis of Indonesian obsidian sources, especially from the volcanically active Banda Arc, this paper presents evidence that one of two obsidian sources is clearly from Timor while the other, with less certainty, is also from an unknown local source.     

The Production and Exchange of Marine Shell Prestige Goods

Marine shell ornaments have several characteristics that make them significant for archaeological analysis. Made from a raw material valued by cultures throughout the world and imbued with water, life, health, and fertility symbolism, shell objects have functioned as prestige goods. Shell prestige goods circulated between individuals, groups, and societies and materialized interpersonal relationships, making them valuable for archaeologists shifting focus from objects to the people in past societies. Shell ornaments had multiple roles, including ornamentation, wealth, marking status, and as ritual paraphernalia, and had varying symbolic associations even within a society. The rich ethnographic literature on shell use provides a source for archaeological model building. Marine shell artifacts often moved between societies and across long distances, offering a way for archaeologists to explore regional relationships and the interactions between ancient societies. To do this requires using several scales of analysis to investigate archaeological residues of a system that includes marine shell ornaments, the social organization of their production and exchange, and the people who made, displayed, and circulated them.