A Review of Obsidian Source Exploitation in pre-Columbian South America

Abstract

The focus of this paper is the obsidian quarries of the Pacific coast of pre-Columbian South America, which were exploited by the indigenous populations since ca. 11000 BC. The importance of obsidian in geoarchaeology and palaeoanthropology has already been demonstrated in sites from all around the world. In this paper, the presence of obsidian in correlation to tectonic activity and volcanism of South America is presented, along with the main sources in their regional geological context. Obsidian artefacts were the mainstay of everyday life of indigenous populations and obsidian was also used in manufacturing weapons. Despite advances in metallurgy, which were comparable with those of contemporary European states, obsidian was never supplanted by metal implements and weapons, until the Spanish conquest. Obsidian is as useful today, as it was to these civilisations, albeit in the different role, of discerning interactions between local societies, elucidating aspects of everyday life, and tracing palaeomobility and trade networks. ΠερίληψηΤο θέμα αυτού του άρθρου είναι τα ορυχεία οψιδιανού της ακτής του Ειρηνικού ωκεανού της Προκολομβιανής Αμερικής, των οποίων η εκμετάλλευση είχε αρχίσει από τους ιθαγενείς πληθυσμούς περίπου από το 11000 π.Χ. Η σημασία του οψιδιανού στην γεωαρχαιολογία και στην παλαιοανθρωπολογία έχει ήδη αποδειχθεί σε περιοχές από όλα τα μέρη του κόσμου. Σε αυτό το άρθρο, παρουσιάζεται η ύπαρξη του οψιδιανού, συναρτήσει της τεκτονικής δραστηριότητας και της ηφαιστειότητας της

Availability, Toxicology and Medical Significance of Antimony

“…Air quality tests indicate that, while some areas with active mining enterprises enjoy reasonable air quality (e.g., [89]), in the majority of cases air quality is negatively affected. In fact, the environmental pollution, which is attributable to min-ing enterprises, has already been documented by numerous researchers for both ancient (e.g., [90]) and modern mining sites (e.g., [91][92][93][94][95]).…”