Prehistoric Survey in Central Afghanistan

Preliminary characterization and regional comparison of the Dasht-i-Nawur obsidian source near Ghazni, Afghanistan

“…Though only six specimens comprise the newly defined Dasht-i-Nawur source, we note that robust geochemical groups have been made elsewhere using just as few specimens (e.g., Phillips and Speakman, 2009). Davis and Dupree (1977) noted that obsidian had not previously been identified in archaeological contexts in Afghanistan, suggesting that usage of the Dasht-i-Nawur source may have been localized. These data provide archaeologists, for the first time, with a characterization of the Dasht-i-Nawur source, and therefore open the possibility of comparing artifact specimens to this source.…”

“…70% at both) of spent cores and flakes. Based on the reduction technologies and the typology of tools found at the two scatters, Davis and Dupree (1977) proposed that these likely represented Epi-Paleolithic industries; however, they also noted that the microblade production techniques evidenced at G.P. 2 and G.P.…”

“…2 and G.P. 4 was that virtually all (98%) of the debitage was of obsidian, despite the fact that at that time obsidian had not been previously identified in archaeological contexts in Afghanistan (Davis, 1978;Davis and Dupree, 1977). Political instability in Afghanistan, beginning with the Suar Revolution in 1978 and followed by Soviet occupation (1979e1989), civil war Table 1 Specimen ID, provenience, and LBNL analysis (run) identifiers for INAA and XRF.…”

“…2). The analyses reported here were conducted on obsidian specimens collected from the Dasht-i-Nawur during a regional survey in 1976 (Davis and Dupree, 1977). These specimens were preserved in the archaeometric archives of the Lawrence Berkeley National Abdullah and Chmyriov, 1977;Bordet, 1972;Bordet et al, 1984;Wittekindt and Weppert, 1973).…”

“…Collaborative efforts to locate these deposits, characterize sources, and identify source areas are ongoing (e.g., Ghorabi et al, 2008Ghorabi et al, , 2010Khademi Nadooshan et al, 2007;Khazaee et al, 2011;Niknami et al, 2010). Davis and Dupree (1977) identified two lag deposits of obsidian in the northern portion of the Dasht during their 1976 archaeological survey. Both deposits (numbered G.P.…”