Methods, Models, and Movement: Examining Multiple Trace Element Dataset to Explore Past Land use Dynamics

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Differential use of obsidian sources by pre-contact peoples has been used to infer mobility patterns and occupations in the Absaroka mountains, Wyoming. Identifying sources of obsidian involves measuring the relative abundances of trace elements using eXRF and analyzing clusters to differentiate sources. Using a large dataset of 1,842 obsidian artifacts, assembled by the GRSLE project, sourced using eXRF coupled with pXRF scans we assembled a logistic Baysian model for predicting obsidian sources using just the results from pXRF. The model can identify samples from Obsidian Cliff in Yellowstone National Park with a better than 0.99 confidence. Using this modeling method and pXRF data greatly increases the feasibility in sourcing large assemblages of obsidian and provides a baseline for expanding our regional record.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40206.0