Non‐destructive Analysis of Obsidian Artefacts Using Nuclear Techniques: Investigation of Provenance of Near Eastern Artefacts

Abstract

A non‐destructive analytical method using both instrumental neutron activation and proton‐induced gamma ray emission techniques was developed to study the provenance of obsidian artefacts from Turkey, Syria and Iraq.

Sourcing obsidian from Tell Aswad and Qdeir 1 (Syria) by SEM-EDS and EDXRF: Methodological implications

“…For Qdeir 1, 25 artefacts were characterized by NAA (Gratuze et al, 1993), of which five were allocated to the analysts' group 1b (Bingöl A/Nemrut Dag), 11 to Bingöl B and nine to Kayırlı (Göllü Dag).…”

A new programme of obsidian characterization at Çatalhöyük, Turkey

“…This work inspired our sourcing project, which in turn forms part of a 'new wave' of Mediterranean, Anatolian and Near Eastern obsidian sourcing studies (cf. [30,35,56]). …”

Long distance trinket trade: Early Bronze Age obsidian from the Negev

“…Obsidian from geological sources in Turkey is wellknown at Mesolithic and Neolithic sites in southern Anatolia and the Levant [11,48,49,67,43,14,12,30], and has even been identified as far west as Sitagroi in northeastern Greece [3]; at the same time, obsidian from sources in eastern Turkey and Armenia was distributed to Mesopotamia and also the Levant [8,30]. While the central and eastern Anatolian sources were considered to be the most likely sources for the Camel Site samples, Aegean, Caucasian, and Red Sea sources were not excluded as possibilities (cf.…”