Papers by Michael D Glascock
The Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark is one of the more significant Woodland period sites i... more The Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark is one of the more significant Woodland period sites in the Northeast. Numerous Hopewellian cultural traits (copper artifacts, cremated burials, exotic cherts, and mica) have been identified at the site. Numerous potential geological sources for the mica artifacts exist in the Mid-Atlantic region. We explore two analytical methods to evaluate the most-likely geological sources of the mica artifacts. Source and artifact specimens were analyzed using pXRF as well as neutron activation. Our pXRF data are suggestive, but show high analytical uncertainty. We make several recommendations relevant to future attempts that would use this kind of instrument to study sheet mica. Our neutron activation results are promising, and suggest that geochemical sourcing of mica has much potential. Results of both assays suggest that most of the artifact specimens recovered from the Abbott Farm share a similar chemistry, and this composition is very similar to mica from southeastern Pennsylvania. A cut-and-drilled pendant exhibits a chemical makeup distinctly different from all other artifacts and source specimens evaluated here. Although our results are preliminary, the application of modern analytical methods to extant archaeological collections has the potential to provide significant new information.
Journal of archaeological science, Jan 1, 1996
Obsidian found in the herding site of Ancosh Punta has proven come from Ayacucho and Arequipa. Th... more Obsidian found in the herding site of Ancosh Punta has proven come from Ayacucho and Arequipa. The way how these herders got the obsidian is unknown, probably some sort of trading or products exchange were performed at some level.
This work comprises the utilization of instrumental neutron activation analysis to determine the ... more This work comprises the utilization of instrumental neutron activation analysis to determine the concentration of 24 chemical elements in pottery shards from two large archaeological sites in central Amazon, Lago Grande and Osvaldo. The multidimensional data set was analyzed by cluster and principal component analysis for defining chemical groups of pottery. The results were correlated to potential exchange networks driven by three mechanisms: trade, exogamic marriage and territorial integration in the region. All of them have important consequences for archaeological research regarding the Amazonian pre-colonial occupation.
The high Andes of South America were among the last environments that Homo sapiens colonized duri... more The high Andes of South America were among the last environments that Homo sapiens colonized during its Pleis-tocene dispersion out of Africa. The peopling of this high-elevation environment was constrained by atmospheric hypoxia, cold stress, and resource availability. Here we report archaeological and geoarchaeological analyses from Cueva Bautista, a dry rock shelter, located at 3933 m above sea level in southwestern Bolivia. We focus on a well-preserved occupation surface containing hearths and high-quality stone tools AMS dated to 12,700– 12,100 cal BP. Geoarchaeological resolution of the site supports its stratigraphic integrity and archaeological analyses indicate that the early human occupation was formed as a temporary camp by mobile foragers relying on a curated technological strategy. Regional paleoenvironmental reconstructions suggest that Cueva Bautista's occupation was synchronous with humid conditions and its abandonment with increased aridity. Our findings suggest that mobile hunter-gatherers explored – albeit not colonized – the high Andes during the late Pleistocene and provides further support that a combination of biological, behavioral, and environmental constraints affected human adaptation to this extreme environment.
The high Andes of South America were among the last environments that Homo sapiens colonized duri... more The high Andes of South America were among the last environments that Homo sapiens colonized during its Pleis-tocene dispersion out of Africa. The peopling of this high-elevation environment was constrained by atmospheric hypoxia, cold stress, and resource availability. Here we report archaeological and geoarchaeological analyses from Cueva Bautista, a dry rock shelter, located at 3933 m above sea level in southwestern Bolivia. We focus on a well-preserved occupation surface containing hearths and high-quality stone tools AMS dated to 12,700– 12,100 cal BP. Geoarchaeological resolution of the site supports its stratigraphic integrity and archaeological analyses indicate that the early human occupation was formed as a temporary camp by mobile foragers relying on a curated technological strategy. Regional paleoenvironmental reconstructions suggest that Cueva Bautista's occupation was synchronous with humid conditions and its abandonment with increased aridity. Our findings suggest that mobile hunter-gatherers explored – albeit not colonized – the high Andes during the late Pleistocene and provides further support that a combination of biological, behavioral, and environmental constraints affected human adaptation to this extreme environment.
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Ochre is a significant material in Aboriginal Australian cultural expression from ceremonial uses... more Ochre is a significant material in Aboriginal Australian cultural expression from ceremonial uses to its application on many types of artifacts. However, ochre is a complex material, with associated surrounding minerals potentially challenging the overall analysis. In recent literature several studies have attempted to characterize ochre by a variety of techniques to understand procurement and trade. However, ochre is difficult to differentiate on major elemental or mineralogical composition and requires a detailed analysis of its geochemical “fingerprint”. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) provides the high sensitivity (sub-ppm), precision and accuracy in multi-elemental analysis required for ochre. The elements of interest for ochre generally include rare earth elements (REEs) and certain transition metal elements as well as arsenic and antimony. Data from relative comparator NAA (MURR, University of Missouri, USA) is compared with data from k 0-NAA OPAL (ANSTO, Lucas Heights, Australia). A discussion of the two methods will be examined for their utility in “fingerprinting” the provenance of ochre. The continuing importance of NAA to archaeometry will also be discussed.
Journal of Archaeological Science, Jan 1, 2011
This article demonstrates the accuracy of non-destructive portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) for ... more This article demonstrates the accuracy of non-destructive portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) for the study of obsidian in central Mexico. Obsidian sources were identified for a sample of 103 artifacts from the site of Xaltocan, which spanned the rise and fall of the Aztec empire and the first centuries of Spanish colonial rule (AD 900–1700). Sources were assigned by comparing pXRF measurements with previously published source data and were verified using the standard techniques of laboratory XRF (lXRF) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Additional tests of potentially confounding factors show that neither length of read time, presence of surface residue, nor incomplete detector coverage due to small artifact size compromised our ability to attribute sources to artifacts. Concave surfaces did decrease the accuracy of readings because of the greater distance between the artifact and the detector. Our results provide new insight into the stability of supply networks and markets well into the Colonial period as well as the homogenizing tendencies of the Aztec market system.► Portable X-ray fluorescence is a non-destructive means to source obsidian objects. ► This technique can accurately identify sources commonly used in central Mexico. ► We study 800 years of obsidian use in Postclassic and Colonial central Mexico. ► Larger obsidian supply networks lasted well beyond the Spanish conquest.
This paper presents data regarding the provenance of obsidian artefacts in several NW Argentina a... more This paper presents data regarding the provenance of obsidian artefacts in several NW Argentina archaeological sites as well as the geochemical characteristics and geologic ages of the different sources. The goal of our project was to gain knowledge about ancient trade routes through the study of the networks constructed around obsidian procurement and distribution at the onset of an agropastoral economy. The time span considered goes from 2200 years BP to 400 years BP, which also encompasses the time of consolidation of long distance exchange contacts. The objective was accomplished by (1) locating, geochemically characterizing, and dating ten potential sources (seven of which were actually used in the past) in several sectors of the Puna region (between 3500 and 4200 masl) in Northwestern Argentina, and (2) to determine the provenance of 176 obsidian artefacts from 37 sites, not only in the Puna but also in neighboring environments, such as the temperate valleys (between 900 and 3500 masl) and the western border of the subandean forest (yungas) (between 300 and 1500 masl). The methodology employed for source identification was instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to measure the trace elements in every source specimen and archaeological artefact. This has enabled accurate identification of the geographical origins and main distribution areas for several sources, while discovering changes in source utilization over time.
Journal of …, Jan 1, 2009
This article presents the results of ongoing instrumental neutron activation analyses (INAA) cond... more This article presents the results of ongoing instrumental neutron activation analyses (INAA) conducted on archaeological artifacts from the Formative period of northwestern Argentina (NWA). These studies are part of a wider archaeological project that seeks to understand the structure of the social landscape of the period by examining domestic and burial evidence from a wide range of villages across the
High-quality cryptocrystalline silicates from the Oligocene-age White River Group of the central ... more High-quality cryptocrystalline silicates from the Oligocene-age White River Group of the central Great Plains (referred to here as White River Group Silicates [WRGS]) were widely used prehistorically for chipped-stone tools. There are three known source areas for WRGS: Flattop Butte in northeastern Colorado, Table Mountain in east-central Wyoming, and the White River Badlands of South Dakota. Specimens from these sources are often visually indistinguishable, making it difficult to specify the source of WRGS from non-quarry archaeological sites. Using
a quantitative method-neutron-activation analysis-these sources were differentiated. The sources of WRGS in two Central Plains archaeological sites also were determined using this technique. The results show that the technique has important implications for studies of prehistoric mobility and for the refinement of cultural-historical affiliation.
Journal of Archaeological …, Jan 1, 1995
... a poster session at the Fifty-Sixth Annual Society for American Archaeology meeting (Hoard ..... more ... a poster session at the Fifty-Sixth Annual Society for American Archaeology meeting (Hoard ...Neutron activation analysis of Flattop chalce-dony from a Clovis multi-use site in the Central ... Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Research and Creative Activities Forum, College of Arts ...
Plains Anthropologist 52:325-336, Aug 2007
We report the results of a study applying instrumental neutron activation analysis (NAA) to potte... more We report the results of a study applying instrumental neutron activation analysis (NAA) to pottery from eight sites assigned to the western part of the Central Plains tradition (Upper Republican and Smoky Hill phases) and six components identified as High Plains Upper Republican. Our purpose is to test the feasibility of using NAA to trace interactions among people of the Central Plains tradition and between the Central Plains tradition people and their counterparts on the High Plains. Results of the statistical analysis, which was performed using the chemical data for both newly sampled sites and previously studied sites (as reported by Cobry), suggest that NAA is a usable method for evaluating the movement of pottery for at least parts of the Central Plains tradition. Samples from four sites on Medicine Creek as well as the Albert Bell and LeBeau sites formed a single homogeneous group referred to as the Central Plains Reference Group. Samples from the other site sites, however, formed distinct groups for each site and also reflected some interaction with their contemporaries. We discuss the implications of these results, some of the questions that remain, and the need for continued sampling.
Journal of archaeological …, Jan 1, 1992
Cryptocrystalline silicates from the Chadron Formation were widely used by prehistoric human grou... more Cryptocrystalline silicates from the Chadron Formation were widely used by prehistoric human groups in the Great Plains of North America. There are two documented quarry areas: Flattop Butte in Colorado and the White River Badlands of South Dakota. Cryptocrystalline ...
Trace element analysis has been performed on 911 samples from 106 archaeological sites and more t... more Trace element analysis has been performed on 911 samples from 106 archaeological sites and more than 100 samples
from six sources. The samples come from archaeological sites located in all environments within a large area located
between 32º and 37º south and 67º and 72º west, and in a chronological range of 9000 to 300 years BP. Analyses were
performed to determine the spatial distribution of sources and to investigate the potential of these data to test models of
mobility and exchange proposed for different regions in that area. Three different X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
spectrometers were used: two energy dispersive and one wavelength dispersive. This paper discusses some problems of
interpretation of archaeological and geological records related to the application of different methods and equipment.
This experience shows the need to improve the geochemical sampling of sources and to confront different methods of
analysis and calibration. The results provide an adequate resolution for discriminating the use of different sources
throughout the Holocene, indicating variable spatial and temporal distributions. The general trend shows a preferential
use of the sources located in the mountainous regions. Las Cargas source, used since the early Holocene (ca. 9000-8000
BP), together with Laguna del Maule source, were the most important sources in the entire area (including eastern and
western slopes of the Andes).
Quaternary …, Jan 1, 2010
This paper presents a synthesis of geological, geochemical, and archaeological information for th... more This paper presents a synthesis of geological, geochemical, and archaeological information for the Huenul obsidian source located in northern Patagonia (Neuquén Province, Argentina). Important information recently published on other obsidian sources in the South-Central Andes of Argentina and Chile provide the context for this endeavor, allowing evaluation of the role of this lithic source within the network of human mobility and interaction on different spatial scales. It is suggested here that Huenul obsidian is genetically related with the Tilhué Formation, already been mapped in detail. This regional information provides a search model for geoarchaeological surveys. This raw material displays a remarkable supra-regional distribution in the archaeological record, although it is regionally under-represented. Three alternative hypotheses explaining the distribution of Huenul obsidians allow evaluation of technological decisions, marginal vs. nuclear role of certain spaces for past human societies, and territorial organization.
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Papers by Michael D Glascock
a quantitative method-neutron-activation analysis-these sources were differentiated. The sources of WRGS in two Central Plains archaeological sites also were determined using this technique. The results show that the technique has important implications for studies of prehistoric mobility and for the refinement of cultural-historical affiliation.
from six sources. The samples come from archaeological sites located in all environments within a large area located
between 32º and 37º south and 67º and 72º west, and in a chronological range of 9000 to 300 years BP. Analyses were
performed to determine the spatial distribution of sources and to investigate the potential of these data to test models of
mobility and exchange proposed for different regions in that area. Three different X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
spectrometers were used: two energy dispersive and one wavelength dispersive. This paper discusses some problems of
interpretation of archaeological and geological records related to the application of different methods and equipment.
This experience shows the need to improve the geochemical sampling of sources and to confront different methods of
analysis and calibration. The results provide an adequate resolution for discriminating the use of different sources
throughout the Holocene, indicating variable spatial and temporal distributions. The general trend shows a preferential
use of the sources located in the mountainous regions. Las Cargas source, used since the early Holocene (ca. 9000-8000
BP), together with Laguna del Maule source, were the most important sources in the entire area (including eastern and
western slopes of the Andes).
a quantitative method-neutron-activation analysis-these sources were differentiated. The sources of WRGS in two Central Plains archaeological sites also were determined using this technique. The results show that the technique has important implications for studies of prehistoric mobility and for the refinement of cultural-historical affiliation.
from six sources. The samples come from archaeological sites located in all environments within a large area located
between 32º and 37º south and 67º and 72º west, and in a chronological range of 9000 to 300 years BP. Analyses were
performed to determine the spatial distribution of sources and to investigate the potential of these data to test models of
mobility and exchange proposed for different regions in that area. Three different X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
spectrometers were used: two energy dispersive and one wavelength dispersive. This paper discusses some problems of
interpretation of archaeological and geological records related to the application of different methods and equipment.
This experience shows the need to improve the geochemical sampling of sources and to confront different methods of
analysis and calibration. The results provide an adequate resolution for discriminating the use of different sources
throughout the Holocene, indicating variable spatial and temporal distributions. The general trend shows a preferential
use of the sources located in the mountainous regions. Las Cargas source, used since the early Holocene (ca. 9000-8000
BP), together with Laguna del Maule source, were the most important sources in the entire area (including eastern and
western slopes of the Andes).