Obsidian sourcing and hydration studies at MURR
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)
- BioSystems, Inc., Corvallis, OR (United States)
In regions where obsidian was abundant, large quantities of the volcanic glass were used by prehistoric peoples to manufacture sharp-edged stone tools. By employing a variety of analytical techniques, these tools are examined by present-day archaeologists to study ancient culture and trade patterns. The geochemical properties of obsidian make it ideal for archaeologists who are interested in the sourcing and dating of obsidian artifacts. Geologic obsidian specimens from more than a dozen sources in northern California, Idaho, and Oregon were characterized by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). These data are being used to create an extensive geochemical data-base for obsidian sources located in the Northwest. Although X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data already exist for many of these sources, INAA provides a larger suite of elements that give superior resolution between individual sources and enables discovery of chemically distinct subgroups within complex source systems.
- OSTI ID:
- 436872
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9606116-; ISSN 0003-018X; TRN: 96:005275-0103
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 74; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), Reno, NV (United States), 16-20 Jun 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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