The More the Merrier: Using a Suite of Analytical Techniques to Arrive at Reliable Chert Ascription

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.

Determining the provenance of Florida cherts has been a major goal of archaeological researchers in the state for decades, and inquiry has largely focused on refining the existing petrographic and microscopic methods. When these methods of provenance were first developed, geochemical approaches using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) were tested and determined to have little application for reliable chert characterization. While this early research demonstrated that XRF was not an appropriate method for characterizing Florida cherts, other research has shown that instrument neutron activation analysis (INAA) and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) have shown potential for chert characterization in the greater southeastern United States. This presentation will review recent successes in geochemical analyses of Florida cherts while also discussing why XRF failed where INAA and LA-ICP-MS have shown promise. A detailed understanding of regional geology and geomorphology is critical to a successful provenance study. Additionally, local taphonomic processes can introduce an added set of geochemical variables that must be accounted for. By addressing chert provenance studies from the ground up, researchers can move toward more reliable ascription. A systematic and multimethod approach to geochemical characterization within a regional geological framework is recommended for future provenance studies in Florida.

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

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32255