GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSES OF OBSIDIAN SOURCES IN THE SOUTHERN RED SEA REGION AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR EXCHANGE MECHANISMS IN PREHISTORY

The majority of the southern Red Sea’s obsidian outcrops remain uninvestigated mainly as a result of the difficulty of conducting fieldwork in this politically charged region. While isolated data exists, there have not previously been any comprehensive programs to recover geological and archaeological obsidian in the area. As a result, the sources of the Red Sea are enigmatic, and there are few matches between analyzed archaeological samples and the few sources that have been studied. Recent sampling and LA-ICP-MS analysis of previously known and newly identified obsidian sources, mainly concentrated in the highlands of Yemen, have resulted in an updated database of geological obsidian for the region. This multi-disciplinary collaboration (Volcanological and Archaeological Program for Obsidian Research (VAPOR)) draws on volcanological, archaeological, and geochemical perspectives and has succeeded in consolidating old and new data. Consequently, we can report new matches of archaeological material to obsidian outcrops of the southern Red Sea zone. This both highlights its importance as a major resource area as early as the Neolithic period and integrates it into wider prehistoric and early historic spheres of contact.