Determining the Provenance of Suwannee Chert: A PXRF and Microscopic Analyses Case Study from Northwest Florida

Summary

This work presents results on the use of microscopic and PXRF analyses for determining Suwannee chert provenance. Traditionally, analysis of the diagnostic microfossils, fabric, and inclusions in Florida cherts has allowed for successful sourcing of lithic raw materials to a distinct quarry cluster within a specific limestone formation. Instrument analysis has not been pursued due to its prohibitive cost, and trace-elemental analysis has been discouraged because of the inherent difficulty associated with recognizing geochemical signatures across formations as a whole. Recent research has suggested that instrument analysis in combination with microscopic analysis may allow for more discrete provenance determinations for Florida cherts. A new multi-technique approach is proposed for Florida provenance studies, and new standards for microscopic analysis attributes, adequate sample size and harvesting strategies, and statistical and graphical analyses are presented. A PXRF and microscopic analysis of chert from the Wacissa quarry cluster in northwest Florida serves as a case study for developing and testing the benefits and drawbacks of a new methodology. The potential for narrowing the source ascriptions of Florida cherts is high, and by reevaluating the techniques equipped in current provenance studies, sourcing cherts to smaller geographic areas within the established quarry clusters may be possible.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Case Studies in Chert Sourcing and Identification   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage