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Sources of Archaeological Obsidian in the Greater American Southwest: An Update and Quantitative Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

M. Steven Shackley
M. Steven Shackley*
Affiliation:
Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology, 103 Kroeber Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3712
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Abstract

Obsidian studies in the greater American Southwest have come of age. No longer does the region lag behind other adjoining regions both in the understanding of source provenance and the integración of obsidian source studies into regional designs. Most of the archaeological obsidian sources discussed here were originally presented in semi-quantitative form in this journal in 1988 (Shackley 1988a). The purpose here is to present that same data in broadly useable quantitative form calibrated to international standards, update the source descriptions when appropriate, and, finally, present data on a few new sources recently located. This is a necessary step to continue the momentum of obsidian studies in the region and make the information available to all. Finally, some discussion is directed toward the archaeological utility of obsidian studies in the region.

Resumen

Resumen

Los estudios sobre obsidiana en el gran Suroeste Americano han madurado. La región ya no se encuentra detrás de adyacentes tanto en la comprensión de fuentes de proveniencia, como en la integración de los estudios de fuentes de obsidiana detron de un diseño regional. La mayoría de los yacimientos arqueológicos de obsidiana discutiós aquí fueron originalmente presentados de forma semicuantitativa para esta publicación en 1988 (Shackley 1988a). El propósito aquí es, presentar estos mismos datos de una forma cuantitativa ampliamente utilizada en los estándars internacionales de calibración, actualizar la descripción del yacimiento cuando sea apropriado, y finalmente, presentar datos actualizados de algunos yacimientos neuvos recientemente localizados. Este es un paso necesario para continuar la momento de los estudios obsidiana en la región y hacer la informatión disponible a todos. Finalmente, alguna discusión se dirige hacia la utilidad arqueológica de el estudios de obsidiana en la región.

Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 60 , Issue 3 , July 1995 , pp. 531 - 551
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1995

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