Neutron Activation Analysis of Some Obsidian Samples from Geological and Archaeological Sites

Mahdavi, Azizeh; Bovington, C. H.

doi:10.2307/4300472

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Later studies include magnetic work by McDougall et al (1983) and Hammo (198.5) and regional and source studies of Mahdavi and Bovington (1972), McDaniels (1976), Yellin (1978 and1980), Yellin and Perlman (1981), Blackman (1984), Yellin and Garfinkel (1986), Blackman (1986), Cauvin et al (1986), Yegingil and Lunel (1990), Schneider (1990), , and Gratuze et al (1993, referred to above; this paper describes non-destructive work using fast neutrons and proton induced gamma emission (PIGE) study, but is difficult to compare with other work because it is largely based on element ratios). Fission track dates for some central Turkish obsidians were provided by and more recently fission track work was used for provenancing by Yegingil and Lunel (1990).…”

Section: Ltiutolici Arid the Near Eastmentioning

confidence: 99%

Obsidian in the Mediterranean and the Near East: A Provenancing Success Story

Williams-Thorpe

1995

Archaeometry

131

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Obsidian provenancing studies comprise one of the most productive and successful research programmes of archaeological science. Obsidian characterization has been successful because workable obsidian is homogeneous on a small scale, analysable by a large number of methods, and is restricted to a small number of mainly readily distinguishable geological sources. Analytical, dating, source, and trade studies within the western Mediterranean, central and eastern Europe, the Aegean, and Anatolia and the Near East during the last 30 years or so are reviewed. Research has shown that distributions are mainly separate in the four regions examined, and that obsidian was traded up to 900km in the prehistoric period. Publications on obsidian in the areas under review reached a peak of frequency in the later 1970s and 1980s, but have now decreased in number. This may reflect changing fashions in archaeometric studies, and a current lack of routine application of the provenancing methods developed.

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Section: Ltiutolici Arid the Near Eastmentioning

confidence: 99%

Obsidian in the Mediterranean and the Near East: A Provenancing Success Story

Williams-Thorpe

1995

Archaeometry

131

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“…During the archaeological surveys conducted in the region in 2005 and 2006, 60 obsidian samples were collected from 22 prehistoric sites. Obsidian use in the majority of the archaeological sites east or west of Lake Urmia dates from 5500 to 3500 bc (Chalcolithic) and are attributable to type 3C obsidians (Voight 1983), although there are a few obsidian types that seem to have been used much later by Bronze and Iron Age peoples (Mahdavi and Bovington 1972; Ghandgar 2003), and by historic groups of people. Some sites represent a single occupation period, but multi‐component sites containing successive layers of different cultures from the Chalcolithic until the most recent times of the Islamic era exist throughout the region.…”

Section: Obsidian Artefactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Provenance Studies of Chalcolithic Obsidian Artefacts From Near Lake Urmia, Northwestern Iran Using WDXRF Analysis

Niknami

Amirkhiz²,

Glascock

2009

Archaeometry

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In 2005–2006 we initiated a major archaeological survey and chemical characterization study to investigate the long‐term use of obsidian along the eastern shores of Lake Urmia, northwestern Iran. Previous research in the area suggested that almost all archaeological obsidian found in this area originated from the Nemrut Daĝ source located in the Lake Van region of Anatolia (Turkey). More recent research on obsidian artefacts from the Lake Urmia region has identified a significant number of obsidian artefacts with compositions different from the sources near Lake Van. This suggests that the obsidian artefacts are from a yet to be identified geological source, but possibly one that was not too distant. In order to advance our knowledge of Iranian obsidians and eventually refine provenance criteria we analysed obsidian from 22 Chalcolithic sites and some source areas. The compositions of both obsidian source samples and artefacts were determined using wave length dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDXRF). This paper presents results from the trace elemental analysis of both geological and archaeological obsidians, providing important new data concerning the diachronic relationship between lithic technology and raw material in the north‐west of Iran.

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“…Renfrew, Dixon, & Cann () analyzed obsidian from Sarab, Tepe Guran, Ali Kosh, and Hajji Firuz Tepe of Neolithic age, and also some artifacts from Tal‐i‐Bakun (south of Persepolis), and Pisdeli Tepe (near Tepe Hasanlu) from the Chalcolithic, and a few artifacts from Susa and Tepe Hasanlu (near Lake Urmia) related to the Early Bronze Age. Also, Mahdavi and Bovington () analyzed obsidian from Susa, Tepe Jaffarabad (near Susa), and Marvdasht (near Persepolis) related to the Chacolithic, and some artifacts from Tepe Hasanlu from the Early Bronze Age. Furthermore, Blackman () studied some obsidian Bronze‐Age artifacts from Tal‐i Malyan (ancient Anshan).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, Blackman () studied some obsidian Bronze‐Age artifacts from Tal‐i Malyan (ancient Anshan). Based on the earlier studies (Blackman, ; Burney, ; Mahdavi & Bovington, ; Renfrew, ; Renfrew, Dixon & Cann, ), it was suggested that the obsidian found in Iranian sites originated from sources around Lake Van in southeastern Anatolia and from sources in Armenia. In addition, Darabi and Glascock () have recently shown that the obsidian found at East Chia Sabz in western Iran came from the Nemrut Dag in southeastern Turkey, and Nadooshan et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Iranian Obsidian Artifacts by PIXE and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

et al. 2015

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It had long been thought that obsidian found in Iranian sites originated from Anatolia and Armenia, but new research has challenged this assumption. In this study, 68 samples of obsidian obtained from an archaeological survey of Nader‐Tepe Aslanduz were analyzed by Proton Induced X‐ray Emission (PIXE). Nader‐Tepe Aslanduz is a tell site west of the city of Aslanduz in the Parsabad county of the Ardebil province in northern Iran. The site was inhabited from the first millennium B.C. to A.D. 17, and its history may extend back to the third or fourth millennium B.C. Our chemical composition results have been combined with obsidian composition data from Turkey and Armenia and subjected to Principal Component Analysis (PCA). This analysis shows that obsidian from each location can be grouped into distinctive classes—the obsidian from Nader‐Tepe Aslanduz is therefore probably derived from volcanic outcrops of the Sahand and Sabalan region. This study has been unable to assign a known source from Anatolia and Armenia for the obsidian of Nader‐Tepe Aslanduz.

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Neutron Activation Analysis of Some Obsidian Samples from Geological and Archaeological Sites

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

Obsidian in the Mediterranean and the Near East: A Provenancing Success Story

Obsidian in the Mediterranean and the Near East: A Provenancing Success Story

Provenance Studies of Chalcolithic Obsidian Artefacts From Near Lake Urmia, Northwestern Iran Using WDXRF Analysis

Characterization of Iranian Obsidian Artifacts by PIXE and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

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