The upper Gila river gravels as an archaeological obsidian source region: Implications for models of exchange and interaction

Abstract

Recent geoarchaeological research in the Upper Gila River region of southeastern Arizona indicates the presence of two geochemically distinct archaeological obsidians occurring as small secondarily deposited nodules within the Quaternary gravels and alluvium. Approximately 32% of the nodules recovered in the sample are derived from the known and reported Mule Creek source upstream in western New Mexico. The remaining 68% of the nodules recovered are derived from another source somewhere in the area, probably in the Tertiary silicic volcanics along the San Francisco drainage or the Upper Gila proper. Additionally, analyses of the Mule Creek primary source data indicates significant geochemical variability not previously indicated by energy dispersive x‐ray fluorescence (EDXRF) studies. The presence of Mule Creek glass 50 or more kilometers from the primary source bears significantly on distance to source based studies where secondary deposition is not accounted for.

Distribution and sources of obsidian in the Rio Grande gravels of New Mexico

“…Other studies take into consideration only the primary lithic source of specific materials and do not address the distribution of these materials in secondary deposits. This oversight has obvious implications, as has been pointed out by previous investigations (e.g., Shackley, 1992;Watrall, 1976;Wyckoff, 1993; and most recently, Reid, 1997). The information contained in this article is intended to provide a preliminary baseline against which the archaeological record can be compared.…”

The application of visible/near‐infrared reflectance (VNIR) spectroscopy to chert: A case study from the Dover Quarry sites, Tennessee

“…Locations 2 and 3 represent fluvial chert deposits and were not as intensively sampled due to a general lack of geologic provenance. Secondary chert deposits should not be neglected in provenance studies, as they represent an easily exploitable resource for prehistoric people that, depending on regional geomorphology, may or may not have existed prehistorically (Shackley, 1992). The limited sampling at these locations is not a result of neglect, but rather because the primary objective was to test the ability of VNIR spectroscopy for chert sourcing, thereby necessitating exact geologic provenance.…”

“…Provenance studies lead researchers to a better understanding of material procurement strategies, subsistence and migration patterns, trade networks, and social and economic issues relating to the distribution and use of chert (Baugh & Nelson, 1987;Shackley, 1992;Hoard et al, 1992;Cobb, 2000). Previous chert provenance studies have used a wide variety of techniques to perform such analyses (Hoard et al, 1992;Lyons, Glascock, & Mehringer, 2003;Roll et al, 2005).…”

Craft economies in the north American Southwest

“…Likewise, compositional studies of materials such as argillite (Wichita State University) (e.g., Adams and Elson, 1995;Elson and Gunderson, 1992a,b), ground stone (e.g., Bostwick, 1993), and obsidian (Mitchell and Shackley, 1995;Peterson etal., 1994Peterson etal., , 1997Shackley, 1992Shackley, , 1994Shackley, , 1995Shackley, , 1997ahave enabled archaeologists to pinpoint the geological source for raw materials and to infer networks of circulation for certain nonceramic craft items.…”