Fission track dating obsidians in Central and Northern Anatolia

Abstract

Twenty obsidian samples from Central and North Anatolia were dated by the fission track method. Split samples analyzed in two different laboratories give consistent results. Data presented refer to three volcanic fields and are summarized as follows: Orta-Sakaeli (Northern Anatolia) obsidians with ages from 21–23 Ma; Gollu Dagi dome complex near Ciftlik (Central anatolia) has given ages between 1.33–0.98 Ma; Acigol caldera (Central Anatolia) shows three age groups: (1) Eruptions of precaldera (Bogazkoy) obsidians with ages 0.18–0.15 Ma; (2) Formation of the large intracaldera dome Kocadag-Taskesiktepe at about 0.08 Ma (uncorrected “apparent” age of 0.075 Ma); and (3) Acigol peripheral obsidian domes with plateau ages of 0.020 and 0.019 Ma, and an additional uncorrected age of 0.018 Ma form a distinct age group. This fission track parameters discriminate between the various obsidian sources of prehistoric obsidian artifacts.