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The Coso volcanic field reexamined: Implications for obsidian sourcing and hydration dating research
Author(s) -
Hughes Richard E.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
geoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1520-6548
pISSN - 0883-6353
DOI - 10.1002/gea.3340030402
Subject(s) - artifact (error) , archaeology , geology , volcano , prehistory , geochemistry , field survey , mineralogy , geography , seismology , neuroscience , biology
Obsidian from the Coso locality, Inyo County, California, has long been regarded by archaeologists as a single “source.” However, studies by the U.S. Geological Survey have provided evidence of geochemical variability among flows within the volcanic field. to determine whether these geochemical distinctions could be applied productively to archaeological research, nondestructive x‐ray fluorescence analyses were conducted on samples recently collected from 15 obsidian‐bearing loci. the results of this research show that geochemically distinct varieties of artifact‐quality obsidian can be recognized within the Coso volcanic field, and subsequent nondestructive x‐ray fluorescence analyses of artifacts from two nearby archaeological sites document that different geochemical varieties of obsidian were used prehistorically to manufacture tools. Implications of these results for studies of prehistoric exchange and obsidian hydration dating are discussed.