THE USE OF X-RAY FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETRY TO IDENTIFY SOURCE LOCATIONS OF LITHIC ARTIFACTS FROM THE GREAT BASIN, NEVADA

Archaeologists use the remains of the past to answer the questions that the future asks. The artifacts left behind by prehistoric people are the remaining link that we have to their lifestyles. If the origins of their lithic artifacts can be located, that information can be used to learn more about their mobility patterns of hunter-gather societies. X-Ray fluorescence technology allows stone artifacts and possible lithic source rocks to be chemically analyzed and identified. This information is able to connect artifacts with their sources. The XRF information can lead to proper classification of volcanic rocks by identifying specific quantities of elements present in them.

This study uses an X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer to identify major and trace elements found in potential sources for lithic artifacts. Five different volcanic rock types were sampled from three different sites in the Western Great Basin. At Hamilton College, they were analyzed petrographically and by XRF spectrometry. The chemical analysis of the collected samples proved the existence of three different volcanic sources. These sources were identified as one dacitic rock types, and two distinct andesitic rock types.

The work done on this project builds on previous studies of tracing artifacts to their source locations using chemical analysis by XRF Spectrometry. The database of established volcanic rock sources and the results found in this study will be compared to each other, and also used to attempt to identify the sources for artifacts collected in the same localities of the volcanic rocks.