ARCUS | Arctic Research Consortium of the United States

6th Annual ARCUS Award for Arctic Research Excellence


Submitted by   Craig M. Lee
Authors   Craig M. Lee
Category   Social Science
Title   Microblade Morphology and Trace Element Analysis: An Examination of Obsidian Artifacts from Archaeological Site 49-PET-408, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska.
Affiliation   Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA

Abstract

Obsidian artifacts from archaeological site 49-PET-408 are made from non-local lithic raw material sources that require long distance transportation and/or trade to access. Visually identifiable characteristics of obsidian artifacts, such as color and translucency, have been correlated through trace element analysis (XR.F) to source areas in British Columbia (Mount Edziza, circa 200 air-miles northeast) and southeastern Alaska (Sumez Island, circa 65 airmiles southwest). Metric attributes recorded from obsidian microblades indicate that specific morphologies (i.e., width, thickness, etc.) correlate with these source areas. Although these differences may reflect the influence of raw material variation on microblade morphology, or varying degrees of reduction owing to the sites relative distance from the two source areas, they may also be resultant from slight variations in production (occurring between different occupations and/or individual flintknappers).