Determining Geochemical Variability of Fine-Grained Basalt Sources/Quarries for Facilitating Prehistoric Interaction Studies in Polynesia

Summary

William "Bill" Dickinson has long been interested in tracking interaction between Pacific Island societies by comparing temper sands of prehistoric ceramics and, more recently, thin section descriptions of basalt adzes. Fine grained basalt sources or quarries anchor ancient interaction spheres, yet few of the dozens of adze quarries found throughout Polynesia are known in sufficient detail to understand intra-source variability. This fundamental data is essential for confidently assigning transported artifacts to quarries. Using a geologically informed protocol in concert with statistical applications, we document the intra-quarry geochemical variability of oxides, trace elements, and isotopes for the large fine-grained basalt source on Eiao, Marquesas Islands, East Polynesia. Incorporating this methodology with sourcing studies at the geographic scale of island, archipelago, and region will provide more credible artifact source assignments and thus enhance our understanding of prehistoric interaction networks throughout Polynesia.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• An Archaeologist’s Geologist: A Symposium in Honor of William R. Dickinson   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage