Monday, January 10, 2011
The Pine Grove Hills Obsidian Source, Nevada: Not What It Seems To Be
Turns out that the Pine Grove Hills obsidian source of western central Nevada is not quite what it appears to be. More on this shortly ...
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Another New Nevada Obsidian Source: Pink Butte
Coming soon ... details about the new Pink Butte obsidian source located in the Ralston Valley of central Nevada.
Top 10 Obsidian Sources: Nevada
When Northwest Research Obsidian Studies Lab first began the analysis of obsidian artifacts, only a relatively small number of specimens had been characterized and our overall knowledge of the obsidian sources in the state was extremely sketchy. Since that time, the scope of archaeological research in the state has increased dramatically and we now have over 8,000 analyzed artifacts in the lab database. And so, the top 10 Nevada obsidian sources that show up in analyzed collections of artifacts are:
1. Modena (Nevada and Utah)
2. Browns Bench (Nevada, Utah, Idaho)
3. Massacre Lake/Guano Valley (Nevada and Oregon)
4. Paradise Valley
5. Obsidian Buttes (varities 1-5)
6. Tempiute Mountain
7. Bodie Hills (California)
8. Sutro Springs
9. Double H/Whitehorse (McDermitt Caldera Complex)
10. BS/PP/FM (Bordwell Spring/ Pinto Peak/Fox Mountain)
1. Modena (Nevada and Utah)
2. Browns Bench (Nevada, Utah, Idaho)
3. Massacre Lake/Guano Valley (Nevada and Oregon)
4. Paradise Valley
5. Obsidian Buttes (varities 1-5)
6. Tempiute Mountain
7. Bodie Hills (California)
8. Sutro Springs
9. Double H/Whitehorse (McDermitt Caldera Complex)
10. BS/PP/FM (Bordwell Spring/ Pinto Peak/Fox Mountain)
Friday, June 25, 2010
A New Nevada Obsidian Source: Robinson Summit
This source blended so well into the background that it was only today that we realized that it even existed. Daron Duke (Far Western Anthropological Research Group) recently sent us a couple of obsidian source nodules that he had found during a survey not far east of Jakes Valley near Robinson Summit. Daron mentioned that the obsidian was rarely found in the alluvial deposits leading westwards from the Robinson Summit area down into Jakes Valley. Subsequent XRF analysis this morning indicates that it's a brand new source that we didn't even realize we were missing! The trace element composition is very similar to that of the Montezuma Range source (strontium levels are a bit more elevated) located near Tonopah and the two sources could be easily confused. A search of the lab database revealed only a single possible artifact match for the Robinson Summit source, an item that had been misassigned as Montezuma Range during the analysis of a large number of artifacts from Butte Valley (located just east of Jakes Valley). Once again, luck proves to be one of our most effective analytical tools.
This source blended so well into the background that it was only today that we realized that it even existed. Daron Duke (Far Western Anthropological Research Group) recently sent us a couple of obsidian source nodules that he had found during a survey not far east of Jakes Valley near Robinson Summit. Daron mentioned that the obsidian was rarely found in the alluvial deposits leading westwards from the Robinson Summit area down into Jakes Valley. Subsequent XRF analysis this morning indicates that it's a brand new source that we didn't even realize we were missing! The trace element composition is very similar to that of the Montezuma Range source (strontium levels are a bit more elevated) located near Tonopah and the two sources could be easily confused. A search of the lab database revealed only a single possible artifact match for the Robinson Summit source, an item that had been misassigned as Montezuma Range during the analysis of a large number of artifacts from Butte Valley (located just east of Jakes Valley). Once again, luck proves to be one of our most effective analytical tools.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Top 10 Obsidian Sources: California
With nearly 22,000 characterized artifacts in the lab database, the number of California obsidian artifacts in an individual state is exceeded only by Oregon. The top 10 favorite prehistoric sources are:
1. Medicine Lake (all varieties)
2. Coso Volcanic Field (all four varieties)
3. Napa Valley (North Coast Ranges)
4. Bodie Hills
5. Casa Diablo (Lookout Mountain and Sawmill Ridge varieties)
6. Tuscan (all varieties)
7. Queen
8. Buck Mountain (Warner Mountains)
9. Saline Valley (all three varieties)
10. Borax Lake (North Coast Ranges)
Sources 1 through 6 all had in excess of 1000 characterized artifacts each. I lumped together the different source varieties for some of the source areas - Medicine Lake, Coso, Casa Diablo, and Saline Valley - because some early provenance studies didn't distinguish among the different subsources that were eventually identified.
With nearly 22,000 characterized artifacts in the lab database, the number of California obsidian artifacts in an individual state is exceeded only by Oregon. The top 10 favorite prehistoric sources are:
1. Medicine Lake (all varieties)
2. Coso Volcanic Field (all four varieties)
3. Napa Valley (North Coast Ranges)
4. Bodie Hills
5. Casa Diablo (Lookout Mountain and Sawmill Ridge varieties)
6. Tuscan (all varieties)
7. Queen
8. Buck Mountain (Warner Mountains)
9. Saline Valley (all three varieties)
10. Borax Lake (North Coast Ranges)
Sources 1 through 6 all had in excess of 1000 characterized artifacts each. I lumped together the different source varieties for some of the source areas - Medicine Lake, Coso, Casa Diablo, and Saline Valley - because some early provenance studies didn't distinguish among the different subsources that were eventually identified.
Tall Tales from the End Of the Trail 2
The second story from Oregon: End of the Trail comes from page 470 as part of another auto tour. For many years, there was a persistent rumor that obsidian from Glass Buttes made its way to the Hopewell mounds of Ohio, a truly spectacular example of long-distance trade in the North America.
In the section above, the writers spin an excellent yarn and can be commended for their imagination if not their attention to the facts. There's no doubt that Glass Buttes is one of the premier sources of natural glass in the United State, if not the world - obsidian has been historically collected in this area for many years and the hillsides are pocked with holes, some of them big enough to drive large vehicles into. And it's true that a surprising number of obsidian artifacts have been recovered in the Midwest in association with Hopewell period sites - their source was the subject of considerable speculation prior to their geochemical characterization in the late 1960's.
But once again the facts spoil what was a good story. It turns out that the source of the Hopewell obsidian was located in Yellowstone National Park (Obsidian Cliff) and in eastern Idaho not far from Yellowstone (Bear Gulch). Trace element studies of obsidian artifacts from Glass Buttes demonstrate that this source was used in central and eastern Oregon, Washington, and even British Columbia, but that the glass definitely didn't make its way east to Ohio. In fact, we've never seen a Glass Buttes artifact in any of the neighboring states to the south or east - California, Nevada, and Idaho.
The second story from Oregon: End of the Trail comes from page 470 as part of another auto tour. For many years, there was a persistent rumor that obsidian from Glass Buttes made its way to the Hopewell mounds of Ohio, a truly spectacular example of long-distance trade in the North America.
In the section above, the writers spin an excellent yarn and can be commended for their imagination if not their attention to the facts. There's no doubt that Glass Buttes is one of the premier sources of natural glass in the United State, if not the world - obsidian has been historically collected in this area for many years and the hillsides are pocked with holes, some of them big enough to drive large vehicles into. And it's true that a surprising number of obsidian artifacts have been recovered in the Midwest in association with Hopewell period sites - their source was the subject of considerable speculation prior to their geochemical characterization in the late 1960's.But once again the facts spoil what was a good story. It turns out that the source of the Hopewell obsidian was located in Yellowstone National Park (Obsidian Cliff) and in eastern Idaho not far from Yellowstone (Bear Gulch). Trace element studies of obsidian artifacts from Glass Buttes demonstrate that this source was used in central and eastern Oregon, Washington, and even British Columbia, but that the glass definitely didn't make its way east to Ohio. In fact, we've never seen a Glass Buttes artifact in any of the neighboring states to the south or east - California, Nevada, and Idaho.
Tall Tales from the End of the Trail 1
The American Guide Series was a collection of books published by the Federal Writer's Project during the late 1930's and early 1940's. Among the publications was Oregon: End of the Trail, a description of the state along with a collection of auto tours. Although the book offers a fascinating snapshot of a Depression-era Oregon, it also proved to be the source of a couple of obsidian-related whoppers. The book appears to be well-researched but it's clear that the writers played it pretty loose on occasion with the facts.
The first of these concerned Rock Mesa, a 2000 year-old obsidian flow located at the southern base of the South Sister. While the flow is quite spectacular, the quality of the obsidian is pretty poor and the source received little or no attention as a prehistoric toolstone resource. The Writer's Project book, however, spins a very different tale in Tour 4B:
The authors paint a fascinating picture of territoriality and quarry control and ultra long-distance trade but unfortunately their interpretation has absolutely no basis in fact. Subsequent trace element provenance studies of thousands of artifacts from western and central Oregon indicate that Rock Mesa was seldom, if ever, used as a source of obsidian. Great story though!
See the next entry for tale #2, a somewhat more plausible but perhaps even taller tale.
The American Guide Series was a collection of books published by the Federal Writer's Project during the late 1930's and early 1940's. Among the publications was Oregon: End of the Trail, a description of the state along with a collection of auto tours. Although the book offers a fascinating snapshot of a Depression-era Oregon, it also proved to be the source of a couple of obsidian-related whoppers. The book appears to be well-researched but it's clear that the writers played it pretty loose on occasion with the facts.
The first of these concerned Rock Mesa, a 2000 year-old obsidian flow located at the southern base of the South Sister. While the flow is quite spectacular, the quality of the obsidian is pretty poor and the source received little or no attention as a prehistoric toolstone resource. The Writer's Project book, however, spins a very different tale in Tour 4B:
The authors paint a fascinating picture of territoriality and quarry control and ultra long-distance trade but unfortunately their interpretation has absolutely no basis in fact. Subsequent trace element provenance studies of thousands of artifacts from western and central Oregon indicate that Rock Mesa was seldom, if ever, used as a source of obsidian. Great story though!See the next entry for tale #2, a somewhat more plausible but perhaps even taller tale.
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