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The small but vital role of 14C dating in archaeometric research is clearly shown in the copper project reported herein. The 14C ages place a time perspective on the “Old Copper Culture Complex,” substantiating early Libby dates that had been questioned. The respective roles of INAA, PGE and Pb isotope work are briefly summarized. A long tradition of heat treatment from Paleoindian stone to Archaic copper is suggested.

Weathering of chert artifacts from three Lapita sites (ca. 3000-2000 B.P.) in the Southeast Solomons is examined. It is shown that the rate of weathering is strongly influenced by soil pH, mineralogy, and prehistoric burning of the material. The concentrations of some major elements (Na, C1, K, All are shown to have been altered during the weathering process. Implications of this work for the sourcing and dating of cherts are discussed.

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Abstract. An archeomagnetic study was carried out on potsherds samples from sites in