Geology First, and Geochemistry Last (but Not Last)

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Case Studies in Toolstone Provenance: Reliable Ascription from the Ground Up" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In this paper I present my perspective, based on 25 years of fieldwork, on the importance of geologically based approaches to sourcing lithic raw materials. Examples are presented from geoarchaeological fieldwork in Maine, New York, Vermont, New Brunswick, and Quebec. Observing and sampling an outcrop in situ is the only way an archaeologist can get an accurate picture of the variability in mineralogy, knapping quality/constraints, and size of blocks available to ancient knappers. This in turn informs the technological analysis of stone tools; there is no better place to understand the initial steps of the *chaîne opératoire than at a quarry. Extensive sampling along and across strike will give the analyst the best chance of capturing the intrasource variability of the toolstone, whether that is knapping quality, mineralogy, or geochemistry. In the Appalachian region of eastern North America, successive orogenies have made it difficult to follow geologic formations and to sample these in a coherent manner. The complexity of the geology and the varying levels of metamorphism create additional challenges for the geoarchaeologist. I explain how these challenges can be overcome via detailed study of geologic publications, extensive geologic fieldwork and collaboration with geologists in the field and lab.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• Case Studies in Toolstone Provenance: Reliable Ascription from the Ground Up

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32494