Obsidian Sources Research Articles

A scientific approach to Plato's Atlantis

The myth of Atlantis is hard to die. This attempt to use scientific evidence to give it the final smash ends up with the doubt that it might not be totally unsubstantiated. The time of the supposed existence of Atlantis (around twelve thousand years ago) was, in fact, characterized by technological revolutions, acknowledged by archaeology, and abrupt climate changes, documented by geology. In principle, it cannot therefore be ruled out that some of those dramatic events left a memory, later used by Plato as a basis for its tale. The climate changes involved the majority of the northern hemisphere, thus all the ancient civilizations (Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Indian and Chinese) could have preserved reminiscence, but it is clear that the events occurring closer to Greece would have been more accessible to Plato. Among the Mediterranean sites that experienced the cataclysms of the beginning of the Holocene, a good candidate to host a primordial civilization might have been the archipelago then existing in the Strait of Sicily, a natural maritime link between Tunisia and Italy, prized by the presence of an obsidian source at Pantelleria. Eleven thousand five hundred years ago, a sudden sea level rise erased the archipelago, submerging the possible settlements, but Pantelleria obsidian ores are still there and could provide a significant clue. In fact, the potential discovery of artefacts, originating from a source now submerged by the sea level rise, would imply that the collection of the mineral took place when it was still emerged, namely at the time of Atlantis. Even if such discovery would not be sufficient to prove the existence of the mythical island, it would be enough to shake up the timeline of the human occupation in the region.

Visual and geochemical analyses of obsidian source use at San Felipe Aztatán, Mexico

Social inequality is a problem at the forefront of anthropological inquiry. The material record can give us valuable information about what resources were used at a given archaeological site. In this study, I have used obsidian and its distribution as a proxy for access to resources. By determining which obsidian sources were used and by whom, we can begin to understand the differential access to resources which is paramount to understanding social inequalities.This research uses a combination of visual sourcing and XRF geochemical sourcing to identify patterns in volcanic sources of obsidian artifacts at Post-classic San Felipe Aztatán in Nayarit, Mexico. Despite excellent quality sources being easily accessible, more sophisticated lithic reduction techniques such as prismatic blade production, seem to have been used only with more distant sources. With no substantial qualitative differences among obsidian sources, purely social factors likely resulted in the temporal and spatial distribution patterns at San Felipe Aztatán. Here, the limited area in which Pachuca obsidian is found may indicate an area of elite residence or elite activity, while its limited temporal distribution may reflect the emergence of trade and influence of the Aztatlán tradition dating to the Amapa phase during the Classic Period (500–750 CE).This research may have greater application for other sites across space and time. If obsidian source can be utilized to identify social stratification, we may be able to understand the spatial and social organization of specific sites as well as the complex dynamic trading relationships among sites.

The use of vitrum obsianum in the Roman Empire: some new insights and future prospects

The research on the use of obsidian in the Mediterranean is extensive but this concerns almost exclusively the exploitation of volcanic glass from prehistoric and Bronze Age contexts. The consumption of obsidian during the Roman imperial period in contrast has only occasionally received attention. Never a comprehensive account on what the Romans made in vitrum obsianum has been set up, nor have the sources exploited by them been examined. The aim of the present paper is to provide a concise overview on the current knowledge regarding the use of obsidian during the Roman imperial period and to offer an introductory outline on potential research. The ancient writers inform us about the use of volcanic glass to create exclusive vessels, gemstones, mirrors and sculpture, but also about the creation of black appearing man-made glass initiated as a cheap and easier workable substitute. The archaeological data however propose a more complex story with the occurrence of obsidian chunks in early Roman secondary glass workshops, and the bulky use of obsidian in late Antiquity to produce tesserae for the creation of wall and vault mosaics. Within the Mediterranean three source areas have been recognized that have been responsible for the supply of obsidian in Antiquity: various Italian and Greek islands (Pantelleria, Lipari, Sardinia, Melos, Giali…) and eastern Turkey (Cappadocia, Lake Van district). For a more detailed research to establish the specific obsidian sources used by the Romans and define their distribution networks, the characterization of the obsidian architectural material offers many opportunities. Obsidian can be clearly discriminated from man-made glass by means of non-destructive chemico-physical analyses. A simple device such as portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) can be used to determine the chemical obsidian of an object enabling a comparison with known glass/obsidian compositions. Raman spectroscopy is another useful technique to distictively seperate glass from obsidian and is applicable for in-situ measurements in museums and archaeological sites by means of a portable Raman spectrometer.

On the provenance of prehistoric obsidian artifacts in South Korea

Using a series of geochemical data from obsidian samples taken from unmodified rocks and prehistoric sites, we investigated the provenance of some obsidian artifacts found in South Korea. By using LA-ICP-MS and SHRIMP methods, we analyzed rare earth elements (REEs) and lead (Pb) isotopic ratios of obsidian samples from the North Korean side of the Baekdusan Mountain (NK) and artifacts from a Neolithic site in Gadeokdo, southeast coast of South Korea (BG). Published accounts on the elemental correlation of previously analyzed samples were re-examined in consideration of their geological compatibility. It appears that the prehistoric artifacts from the middle to northern part of South Korea have a genetic relationship with obsidians from the Baekdusan area, whereas those of the southern part are related to Kyushu, Japan. REE patterns of the BG and the NK samples demonstrate a prominent contrast between them, suggesting their different provenances. Presumably, the BG obsidians are related to the volcanic rocks of Kyushu. Given that Pb isotopic ratios are indicative of the relative contribution of crust versus mantle component to the volcanic magma, they indicate the addition of a crustal component to the volcanic magma for the Baekdusan volcanic rocks and the NK obsidians. The Kyushu volcanics and the BG obsidians have a relative affinity to the mantle component. The geochemical approach adopted in the current research may be regarded as an accurate and effective means to discriminate and isolate obsidian sources, helpful for provenance and other archaeological study of obsidian artifacts.

Obsidian distribution from a Lapita cemetery sheds light on its value to past societies

AbstractThe Teouma site on Efate Island in Vanuatu is unique in the Pacific, as it enables us to analyse an archaeological assemblage in relation to discrete activity areas of burial and settlement at the time of initial settlement of the archipelago. Geochemical sourcing of obsidian in combination with a basic technological analysis help us to understand whether differences exist between burial zones and settlement middens.The results show that the distribution of obsidian was not directly associated with individual burials and does not unambiguously correlate with specific activity areas, thus questioning the hypothesis that obsidian transportation was linked to the increase in individual status. It is argued that the evidence adds further weight to those models that interpret the function of obsidian as being associated with past social transactions or relationships, rather than having any enduring or intrinsic value as a wealth‐enhancing commodity.

Colonization and Early Human Migrations in the Insular Russian Far East: A View From the Mid-2010s

ABSTRACTThe current status of research on colonization and early migration in the insular part of the Russian Far East is presented. Based on a critical evaluation of the latest data, it is concluded that the initial colonization of Sakhalin Island occurred at ca. 19,500 BP and possibly earlier, but no solid evidence has yet been found to determine this with more precision. The movement of people from neighboring Hokkaido (northern Japan) to Sakhalin continued throughout the Paleolithic–Neolithic since ca. 10,000 BP with the help of maritime transport. In the Middle–Late Neolithic, ca. 5200–4400 BP, migration from the adjacent mainland (via the lower reaches of the Amur River) to Sakhalin is detected. The southern part of the Kurile Archipelago was initially colonized from Hokkaido in the Early Jomon (i.e., Neolithic) at ca. 7200–7000 BP; the northern part was subsequently settled possibly as early as ca. 5300 BP. Active contacts between Hokkaido and the Kurile Islands continued throughout and after the Jomon period. The identification of obsidian sources used by inhabitants on Sakhalin and the Kuriles has created a solid foundation for examining the direction and timing for initial colonization and other population dispersals.

Human activity patterns at the Horokazawa Toma Upper Paleolithic stone tool manufacturing site in the Shirataki obsidian source area: Combining excavation with experimentation

The Horokazawa site locality Toma (HT) is an Upper Paleolithic archeological site situated on a hillside near the Shirataki Akaishiyama obsidian source area, the largest in Japan. Excavations at HT over a period of more than 20 years have produced more than 570,000 artifacts from an area of less than 100 m2. The Horokazawa Toma lithic assemblage was characterized by the Yubetsu technique, which was used to manufacture microblades in Siberia, the Far East, and North America. The assemblage at HT has been dated to the period just after the last glacial maximum, around 15,000 years ago, and when the microblade industry was flourishing in Eastern Asia. As flakes and chips account for 98% of the lithic artifacts, the site was evidently a lithic workshop. In this study, along with examination of excavated materials we identified the source of excavated materials by macroscopic observation and nondestructive analyses, and we experimentally replicated the manufacturing technique to analyze the activities carried at this workshop and infer the distribution network of raw materials and worked stone, beginning with the acquisition of the obsidian.The obsidian came from the East Atelier and Ajisainotaki (especially) sources near the summit of Mt. Akaishiyama. Large angular and slab-like nodules from these sources were likely collected at Hidarinosawa being closer to HT, brought to HT, and processed into large bifaces and boat-shaped blanks for microblade manufacture. Many of these products were exported to other sites. We showed by experiment that the first and second spalls efficiently removed from a large biface by the block-on-block technique. A similar microblade industry based on Shirataki obsidian is found at sites in the Yubetsu River drainage, below HT, and other sites in Hokkaido. In fact, Shirataki obsidian is found at remote sites such as Akatsuki site (eastern part of Hokkaido) and Sokol site (on Sakhalin island), suggesting that raw materials were exchanged between groups of people over long distances. This large distribution network was supported by mass production of blanks for microblade manufacturing at the Toma locality of the Horokazawa site.

Modeling the influences of raw material availability and functional efficiency on obsidian projectile point curation: A Great Basin example

Prehistoric hunters weighed various factors when manufacturing, using, and maintaining projectile points. I use a model based on the Marginal Value Theorem to generate predictions about the conditions under which hunters should have rejuvenated broken obsidian points or replaced them with new ones. The model predicts that distance to obsidian sources was a major influence on hunters' decisions. I test the model using robust samples of obsidian points from the central and northwestern Great Basin, which I compare for quantitative and qualitative differences in size and evidence of resharpening. The results indicate that broken points in the obsidian-poor central Great Basin were commonly rejuvenated while broken points in the obsidian-rich northwestern Great Basin were simply replaced. These results build on recent studies of stone tool curation and Great Basin prehistory and help explain how and why lithic technological organization varied across time and space.

New tin mines and production sites near Kültepe in Turkey: a third-millennium BC highland production model

Abstract

Impact of landscape changes on obsidian exploitation since the Palaeolithic in the central highland of Japan

We have reconstructed landscape changes at a known obsidian source area in the central highland, Japan, using well dated pollen and micro-charcoal records, in order to better understand the difference in obsidian procurement between gathering in the Palaeolithic period (>30–16 ka cal bp) and mining in the Jomon period (16–2.9 ka cal bp). The pollen record at the site shows that alpine vegetation, such as patches of Pinus pumila (dwarf Siberian pine) and alpine meadows with rocky areas surrounded the area during the period 30–17 ka cal bp. The reconstructed Palaeolithic landscape implies that there was a favourable situation for gathering obsidian on the ground surface in the area. Subsequently, growth of woodland started at 17 ka cal bp due to a rise of the tree line elevation corresponding to the deglacial warming. The pollen record at the site shows that mixed woodland consisting of Betula (birch) and boreal conifers covered the area during the period 17–11.2 ka cal bp, and dense mixed oak woodlands flourished during the period 11.2–2.9 ka cal bp. From 17 ka cal bp, local conditions were unfavourable for gathering obsidian, and this probably caused the Jomon people to develop obsidian mining. We can suggest that the landscape changes between the Palaeolithic and Jomon periods strongly influenced the prehistoric exploitation of obsidian in the area.

Reassessing the role of Mount Edziza obsidian in northwestern North America

Mount Edziza is a major source of obsidian in the northwest of British Columbia, Canada. Its high quality of material, number of flows and range of use rival other large obsidian sources in North America. Previous research documented its use over an area of 1000km2 and earliest use over 10,000years ago. Original XRF analysis indicated that only three out of its ten flows were used by pre-contact populations. This research confirms earlier work, but also demonstrates the use of other flows in the Mount Edziza volcanic complex and preferential exchange in and between Athapaskan speaking peoples surrounding the source and movement of material from only one flow to coastal areas.

Blade production and the consumption of obsidian in Stentinello period Neolithic Sicily

This study explores obsidian consumption during the Early/Middle Neolithic Stentinello period (ca. 5600–4000cal B.C.) on the Italian island of Sicily through the analysis of 622 obsidian artifacts from eight sites in eastern Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. By combining obsidian sourcing by means of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry with techno-typological characterization, it is shown that distinctively wide Lipari blades were the primary artifact type used during this period. Our data suggest that the primary reduction of these materials occurred at the source area by local populations, with obsidian being transported from Lipari to eastern Sicily and Calabria in the form of preformed cores. Despite similarities between Sicily and southern Italy in the initial procurement of Lipari obsidian, there are distinct differences in how these materials were subsequently reduced.

The geopolitics of obsidian supply in Postclassic Tlaxcallan: A portable X-ray fluorescence study

The geopolitical relations of ancient states were often materialized through the flows of highly valued objects, but such relations also involved territorial strategies to secure access to natural resources and ensure the supply of bulk goods. Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) of obsidian provides an excellent tool for investigating how the territoriality of ancient states shaped the circulation of such bulk commodities at a macro-regional scale. Here, we present the results of a pXRF study of obsidian artifacts from the Late Postclassic (AD 1350–1520) urban center of Tlaxcallan, Mexico. A recent survey and mapping project of Tlaxcallan provides the data to examine its obsidian supply. To assign sources to artifacts we applied pXRF to a sample of 45 artifacts from Tlaxcallan and 35 geological samples from sources of obsidian that we considered likely to have supplied Tlaxcallan. Contrary to expected patterns, our findings challenge the view that the Tlaxcalteca were embedded in economic networks centered in the Basin of Mexico and the Aztec Empire. Our results suggest that the population of Tlaxcallan procured obsidian from sources that fell outside of the major obsidian supply networks already documented in Mesoamerica. Thus, our findings support the idea that the territories of Mesoamerican polities influenced the supply of obsidian and that further studies of the geopolitics of bulk goods supply in ancient states are warranted.

Las Cargas: Characterization and Prehistoric Use of a Southern Andean Obsidian Source

The importance of obsidian from the northern Patagonian source at Las Cargas is reflected in its early use (∼8000 years B.P.) and extensive geographic diffusion but is nonetheless surprising in light of the source's high altitude (located in the Andes Cordillera), which makes it both difficult to access under ideal conditions and inaccessible for much of the year. Prehistoric use of the Las Cargas source can inform us about mobility, subsistence choices, economics of stone consumption, trade, and territoriality. Here we present the results of various lines of evidence (surface survey, X‐ray fluorescence and instrumental neutron activation analyses, artifact morphometry, and obsidian hydration dating) used to characterize obsidian from Las Cargas and its prehistoric use during the Holocene. Results indicate that Las Cargas obsidian occurs at the source as blocks and nodules, which are chemically homogeneous and of variable quality. Use of the source was nearly continuous through time, and the primary knapping activities performed there were the production of blanks and preparation of cores.

Raw material circulation at broad scales in southern Patagonia (Argentina): The cases of the Chico and Santa Cruz River basins

The purpose of this paper is to begin to understand human mobility through rock transport at different times in two areas with different environmental characteristics: the Southern Deseado Massif and the basaltic canyons north of the Santa Cruz River. We focus on obsidian, which has a clear geochemical signature and an uneven distribution. Additionally, we use macroscopic information on siliceous rocks, which at present have only been identified in northern areas, although they may also be recovered randomly and in low frequencies in southern ones.During the initial peopling of the Southern Deseado Massif (ca. 10,800 BP), inhabitants were transporting black obsidian as well as translucent chalcedony, probably as part of the individual gear. During the Late Holocene, the number of obsidian artifacts decreased in the Southern Deseado Massif, related to a better knowledge of the high-quality local lithic resources and/or to the existence of higher population densities. Obsidian artifacts are more abundant in the northern Santa Cruz River basin than in the southern Deseado Massif, suggesting the existence of a relationship with areas located to the northwest, close to the obsidian source, as other lines of evidence suggest. In addition, the presence in the basaltic canyons of artifacts made from high-quality siliceous rocks, more abundant and predictable in northern areas, could also be the result of human movements following a north-south direction.

Sourcing Obsidian Artifacts from Archaeological Sites in Banat (Southwest Romania) by X-ray Fluorescence

This article concerns the chemical analysis by X-ray fluorescence and source determination for five obsidian artifacts from archaeological sites in Banat (Southwest Romania). The results show that all of the artifacts could be assigned to an obsidian source located in the Kosice region of Slovakia. The specific source is known as Čejkov and it is a sub-source of the Vinicky source.

上部旧石器時代における中部高地黒曜石原産地の土地利用変化

上部旧石器時代における中部高地黒曜石原産地の土地利用変化

Identifying the Ethiopian origin of the obsidian found in Upper Egypt (Naqada period) and the most likely exchange routes*

The absence of obsidian sources in Egypt implies that obsidian excavated in fourth-millennium bc Upper Egyptian sites arrived in Egypt over long distances. This article develops an obsidian provenance study, based on chemical composition that permits to determine that obsidian found in Egypt came from neither Anatolia nor the Arabian Peninsula. Egyptian obsidian has a compositions similar to that from the Porc Epic cave in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Considering the evolution of East African Paleolithic and Neolithic source-site distances, the most likely sources were less than 250 km away from the Porc Epic cave. The results of the study permit to suggest that terrestrial and/or Nilotic exchange routes were more likely than maritime routes involving the Red Sea and the coasts of Eritrea and the Arabian Peninsula. The ‘down-the-line’ exchange model would incorporate the Gash Delta and the Nubian A-Group.

Reassessing obsidian field relationships at Glass Buttes, Oregon

The Glass Buttes complex in the High Lava Plains of Oregon produced obsidians during a series of rhyolitic eruptions circa 5.8 to 6.5Ma. These obsidians have been used to craft stone tools for millennia, from Clovis peoples to modern knappers, and have been recovered at sites throughout the Pacific Northwest. Glass Buttes is also the origin of much obsidian used for lithic replication experiments and to test new techniques for sourcing. Paradoxically, the spatial distributions of chemically distinct obsidians at this complex have received comparatively little attention. The only published study to connect obsidian compositional differences to the Glass Buttes landscape is Ambroz et al. (2001), who reported seven discrete, spatially constrained obsidian “chemical groups” based on clustered data in elemental scatterplots. Since its publication, their paper has been cited as an example of successful obsidian “subsource” characterization. During the course of a wider research program, we collected 337 specimens at Glass Buttes from loci originally sampled by Ambroz et al. (2001). While we could replicate the “chemical groups” observed by Ambroz et al. (2001), we were unable to reproduce the reported spatial distribution of sources across the landscape. Almost half of the resampled loci exhibited intermingled populations of chemical types due to their locations on alluvial–colluvial deposits. We also identified five additional obsidian chemical types at the complex; however, geochemically significant elements suggest that only a subset of these eleven types correspond to different flows and domes at Glass Buttes. A few appear to reflect chemical zoning within flows, whereas two other types may be exogenous, moved from nearby obsidian sources via secondary transport. Thus, we demonstrate here that the discrete subsource zones demarcated by Ambroz et al. (2001) do not reflect reality on the landscape. This, in turn, alters how artifact sourcing results are interpreted with respect to how mobile foraging groups interacted with the landscape and made choices regarding resource acquisition, toolstone provisioning, and land use.

The Selene Obsidian Source (Formerly Sonora Unknown B) of the Upper Río Bavispe Basin, Sonora, Mexico

An energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of nineteen obsidian source rocks from a mid-Tertiary rhyolite/perlite flow in the upper Río Bavispe basin of northeastern Sonora, Mexico solves the location of “Sonora Unknown B” as reported by ) for recent archaeological projects in northeastern Sonora and southeastern Arizona. This newly discovered source, called Selene, is a relatively large marekanite source consisting of a very high-silica rhyolite with regionally distinct high barium (Ba) and strontium (Sr) values, and low zirconium (Zr) elemental concentrations. The Selene nodules are relatively large compared to nodules from other northern Sonoran and Chihuahuan obsidian sources, and have excellent knapping qualities. We believe these attributes contributed to the transport, trade, and use of Selene obsidian hundreds of kilometers from the source. This is in contrast to marekanites from some other sources in northwestern Mexico, which were at most transported and used a few tens of kilometers from their sources (; :77).