Dissertation Research: Obsidian Hydration Dating: Testing the Underlying Assumptions of Temperature Measurements in Archaeological Sites

在David Meltzer博士的指导下，Rosanna Ridings女士将为她的博士论文收集数据。她工作的目标是提高黑铁矿水合测年的准确性，为了实现这一目标，她将分析从新墨西哥州格兰德河北部附近的Pot Creek Pueblo遗址仔细挖掘并得到良好控制的黑铁矿工具样本。黑麻岩(火山玻璃)，因为它很容易剥落和保持锋利的边缘，是一种广泛珍贵的材料，用于制造石器。由于新剥落的表面形成了可测量的水化外壳，而且外壳的深度与时间有关，许多科学家试图使用外壳厚度来确定工具制造的年龄。然而，也知道Rind的发展是温度相关的，第二个自变量也必须被考虑在内。由于气候和温度随着时间的推移而波动，考古学家还没有确定应该如何测量温度，以及后续的分析应该如何进行。雷丁斯女士的工作将有助于解决这个问题。首先，她将对目前用于测量和估计考古遗址有效水化温度的三种方法进行系统比较。然后，她将比较结果。其次，Pot Creek Pueblo的气候将使用树轮宽度和同位素组成来确定过去850年的气候。西南地区因年轮数据可用而独树一帜。最后，她将对文物的沉积历史进行建模，以整合有效水化温度随时间的变化。然后，她将使用这些数据来分析黑铁矿文物本身。考虑到过去在现场的工作，这些材料的年龄可以独立确定。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。这将有助于发展和完善一项重要的考古测年技术，该技术在世界许多地区都有使用。它还将帮助培训一位非常有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. David Meltzer, Ms Rosanna Ridings will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. The goal of her work is to increase the accuracy of obsidian hydration dating and to accomplish this she will analyze carefully excavated and well controlled samples of obsidian tools from the site of Pot Creek Pueblo which is located near the northern Rio Grande, New Mexico. Obsidian (volcanic glass) because it is easy to flake and holds a sharp edge was a widely prized material used to manufacture stone tools. Because freshly flaked surfaces develop a measurable hydration rind and because the depth of the rind is time dependent, many scientists have attempted to use rind thickness to determine age of tool manufacture. However, it is also known that rind development is temperature dependent and that this second independent variable must also be taken into account. Since climate and therefore temperature fluctuate over time, archaeometrists have not determined how temperature measurements should be taken and how subsequent analysis should proceed. Ms Ridings' work will help to resolve this issue. First, she will conduct a systematic comparison of the three methods currently used for measuring and estimating effective hydration temperatures in archaeological sites. She will then compare the results. Secondly, climate of Pot Creek Pueblo will be determined over the last 850 years using both tree ring width and isotopic composition. The Southwest in unique because of the tree ring data which is available. Finally, she will model the depositional history of the artifacts to integrate the change in effective hydration temperature over time. She will then use these data to analyze the obsidian artifacts themselves. Given past work at the site, the age of these materials can be independently determined. This research is important for several reasons. It will help to develop and refine an important archaeological dating technique which is employed in many parts of the world. It will also assist in the training of an extremely promising young scientist.