Dissertation Research: Exchange of Vanport Flint Bladelets Among Hopewell Groups

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Flint (a microcrystalline quartz rock) is highly resistant to weathering and fractures to produce a sharp, durable cutting edge. It was utilized by prehistoric peoples to manufacture tools for the processing of plant and animal materials. Its availability was directly linked to the survival of many prehistoric human populations, and it was widely exchanged in prehistoric economic systems. However, the patterning of this exchange is poorly understood largely because existing methods of sourcing flint are unreliable. Under the direction of Drs. Richard Yerkes and Gunter Faure, Mr. James Foradas, a graduate student at Ohio State University, will develop sourcing criteria from samples derived from Vanport flint which is exposed in a number of Ohio outcrops. The project will consist of four main stages. Mr. Foradas will first collect specimens from a series of outcrops. He will then conduct analyzes to characterize each. These will include trace element determinations using X-ray fluorescence, petrographic, and SEM analysis. On this basis he will then examine flints recovered in archaeological context from a number of Scioto River Valley Hopewell culture sites. Finally, he will use these data to reconstruct Hopewell exchange patterns. This research is important for several reasons. It will serve to develop a non-destructive analytic technique for the analysis of chert which can be used, hopefully, in a wide range of archaeological situations. This should prove a valuable tool. Archaeologists are interested in how complex societies evolve, and the Hopewell culture marks one of the earliest manifestations of such a large scale development in North America. It has been postulated that the regulation of trade in such valuable objects as high grade flint served as an integrating mechanism, and Mr. Foradas' work will allow testing of this hypothesis. Finally, this project will assist in the training of an extremely promising young scientist.