Subsource characterization: Obsidian utilization of subsources of the Coso volcanic field, Coso Junction, California, USA

Abstract

Six chemical subsource groups were identified in the analysis of 84 obsidian samples collected from subsource locations at Coso volcanic field, California. In prehistoric times, Coso provided obsidian for artifacts found from San Francisco Bay to San Diego to Death Valley to the eastern Mojave Desert. Subsource groups were defined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) of 29 elements followed by cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and bivariate plotting. The new data are compared to previously published INAA and X-ray fluorescence data. Characterization of 55 obsidian artifacts from archaeological sites located approximately 100 miles from Coso suggests preferential usage of specific subsources as a function of the directionality of travel. The results are consistent with a bimodal (resident and itinerant) model of procurement. This research illustrates the importance of accurate sourcing of obsidian artifacts when attempting to define subsource usage.

Using neutron activation analysis to identify scales of interaction at Kinet Höyük, Turkey

“…Where archaeological materials are derived from discrete geological sources (e.g. lithics from an obsidian source), the ''provenance postulate'' has proven highly effective (Ericson and Glascock, 2004;Glascock, 2002;Summerhayes et al, 1998;Tykot, 2002;Wilson and Pollard, 2001). But for ceramic provenance studies the definition of the geographic extent and geological context of clay beds used in antiquity remains a major challenge (Dorais et al, 2004;Schwedt and Mommsen, 2004).…”

Provenance of middle Stone Age obsidian artefacts from the central sector of the Main Ethiopian Rift Valley

“…The artefacts were randomly selected from the excavated materials stored at the National Museum of Ethiopia. The analyzed source materials are artefact quality obsidian samples taken from many different parts of each source due to concern about intra-source elemental variability (Hughes, 1994(Hughes, , 1998Ericson and Glascock, 2004). …”

Obsidian Subsource Identification in the Sierra de Pachuca and Otumba Volcanic Regions, Central Mexico, by ICP‐MS and DBSCAN Statistical Analysis

“…Subsource characterization, compared to source characterization, provides greater spatial resolution in provenance studies and can be used to trace artifacts back to a specific quarry location (Spence et al., ; Tykot, ). It is therefore worthwhile to ascribe obsidian to chemically distinct subsources that are available within the larger source area (Braswell & Glascock, ; Ericson & Glascock, ; Eerkens & Rosenthal, ). Several obsidian flows are known in the Sierra de Pachuca and Otumba volcanic area, providing the possibility to discriminate individual subsource chemical patterns.…”