Carpathian Obsidian in Macedonia, Greece

Strofilas (Andros Island, Greece): new evidence for the cycladic final neolithic period through novel dating methods using luminescence and obsidian hydration

“…Relevant characterization of obsidian tools has been made for the Mediterranean and the Aegean, indicating long distance routes of contacts made either with continental Greece or the islands via the sea (Kilikoglou et al, 1996;Tykot, 2002;Williams-Thorpe, 1995).…”

“…Luminescence dating has also been used, including thermoluminescence (TL) of Minoan kilns and Neolithic settlements in Thessaly and Macedonia (Liritzis, 1979(Liritzis, , 1984Liritzis and Galloway, 1982;Liritzis and Thomas, 1980; and on metallurgical slags from Siphnos and Thasos (Elitzsch et al, 1983). Obsidian hydration dating (OHD) in the Aegean has not been extensively used for dating due to various drawbacks of the method until recently with modern advances (Stevenson et al, 2002;Liritzis, 2006;Liritzis et al, 2004), and the only characterization work that has been done extensively is on obsidian tools to help determine their provenance (Dixon and Renfrew, 1968;Kilikoglou et al, 1996Kilikoglou et al, , 1997Renfrew et al, 1965;Williams-Thorpe et al, 1984;Liritzis, 2008). Part of the issue lies in the large uncertainties with OHD regarding the empirical equation and estimated diffusion coefficient (Anovitz et al, 1999).…”

Aegean Prehistory as World Archaeology: Recent Trends in the Archaeology of Bronze Age Greece

“…New elemental analyses, however, have shown more source variability than expected: not only more distant sources such as Anatolian obsidian at Knossos and Malia (Poursat and Loubet 2005) and Carpathian obsidian in Macedonia (Kilikoglou et al 1996), but also at Melos itself where it is possible to discriminate chemically between two separate quarries. More importantly, lithic studies have been overly technical, focused on provenience, the details of the reduction sequence, and economic explanations, while ignoring ''…more nuanced, socialized, embodied, gendered and subjective deconstructions of the natural world and its resources'' (Carter 2003, p. 76).…”

The Obsidian in the Aegean Beyond Melos: An Outlook From Yali

“…In northern Greece, i.e. Macedonia and Thrace, chert was more prevalent, with obsidian penetration being limited in size and extent, reaching as far as Dispilio, Yannitsa and Sitagroi during the Middle Neolithic (MN) and LN periods (Kilikoglou et al . 1996, 343).…”

“…1). Possibly, the most astonishing was the presence of Carpathian obsidian at Mandalon in western Macedonia (Kilikoglou et al . 1996, 349; Moundrea‐Agrafioti 2005, 52–3).…”