Obsidian Source Use Within the Alföld Linear Pottery culture in Slovakia

Dagmara H Werra,Marián Vizdal,Richard E Hughes,Lýdia Gačková,Marek Nowak

doi:10.23858/sa/73.2021.1.2615

Abstract

This paper reports the results of non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of 186 obsidian artifacts from eight archaeological sites attributable to the Alföld Linear Pottery Culture (c. 5600-4900 cal BC). This is the largest instrument-based study yet conducted and reported for Alföld Linear Pottery Culture (ALPC) artifacts from Slovakia, where ALPC chipped lithic assemblages are almost entirely composed of obsidian items. Results show that all obsidian artifacts analyzed were manufactured exclusively from a volcanic glass of the Carpathian 1 chemical type, the source of which has been localised in Slovakia. This chemical variety of obsidian appears to have been the most important volcanic glass used by prehistoric communities in East-Central Europe during the Neolithic.

Highlights

This paper reports the results of non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of 186 obsidian artifacts from eight archaeological sites attributable to the Alföld Linear Pottery culture (c. 56004900 cal BC)
We use energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis as the instrumental basis for identifying the obsidian sources used by Alföld Linear Pottery culture (ALPC) communities and discuss the results in the context of how the material may have been employed during that period
Obsidian raw materials are classified into three groups: Carpathian group 1 (C1) is used as a shorthand descriptor for obsidian from Slovakia, Carpathian group 2 (C2) identifies obsidian from Hungary, and Carpathian group 3 (C3) specifies material from Transcarpathian Ukraine (Thorpe et al 1984; Rosania et al 2008)

Summary

Introduction

This paper reports the results of non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of 186 obsidian artifacts from eight archaeological sites attributable to the Alföld Linear Pottery culture (c. 56004900 cal BC). This paper reports the results of non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of 186 obsidian artifacts from eight archaeological sites attributable to the Alföld Linear Pottery culture We use energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis as the instrumental basis for identifying the obsidian sources used by Alföld Linear Pottery culture (ALPC) communities and discuss the results in the context of how the material may have been employed during that period. Several geological obsidian sources are located in, and proximate to, the Zemplén Mountains in Slovakia and Hungary (Fig. 1) Those outcrops of this material were the most important for prehistoric communities in Central Europe. Within Slovakia natural sources of obsidian are concentrated in Veľká Tŕňa, Malá Tŕňa, Viničky, Malá Bara, Vel’ká Bara and Streda nad Bodrogom, and secondary sources are known in the area of Brehov-Cejkov (Kaminská and Ďuďa 1985, 123; Kaminská 1991; 2013; 2018; Bigazzi et al 2000, 225; Přichystal 2013, 160, 161; Přichystal and Škrdla 2014; Bačo et al 2017, 208)

Methods

Findings

Conclusion