Trace Elemental Source Characterization of La Mixtequilla Obsidian Artifacts, Veracruz, Mexico

在国家科学基金会的支持下，芭芭拉·斯塔克博士将 进行采购分析。找到174件黑曜石文物 来自墨西哥韦拉克鲁斯地区的考古学背景。 在以前的NSF资助的研究过程中，斯塔克博士 研究了这个位于海湾的小地区的史前史 墨西哥海岸。 与中部高地地区相比， 韦拉克鲁斯从未发展成为一个强大的国家， 而是以较小的政体为特征。 斯塔克医生 因此，将韦拉克鲁斯视为边缘地区，并希望 发现它是如何与这些更重要的生物相互作用并受其影响的 强大的国家 因为黑曜石（火山玻璃）可以制造出极好的石器 它拥有锋利的边缘，在古代非常珍贵， 被广泛交易。 考古学家也对它感兴趣 因为它在中美洲的分布是高度本地化的 并且源的数量小。 个别来源是 化学性质不同，通过微量元素分析， 将黑曜石制品与其地质来源相匹配。 在此基础上可以追踪黑曜石的运动， 来重建经济模式， 改变政治格局 本工程 密苏里州大学将进行中子活化分析 一系列来自韦拉克鲁斯州的黑曜石文物 网站. 通过这些，与更大的墨西哥中部的互动 国家可以重建。 这项研究很重要，因为它将增加我们的 理解复杂的社会是如何以许多 世界的一部分得以发展和维持。 它还将 允许最大量的信息从一个 已经成功的项目。

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Barbara Stark will conduct sourcing analysis of ca. 174 obsidian artifacts recovered from archaeological contexts in the Veracruz region of Mexico. In the course of previous NSF funded research, Dr. Stark has examined the prehistory of this small region located on the Gulf coast of Mexico. In contrast to the central highlands region, Veracruz never developed into a large and powerful state but rather was characterized by smaller polities. Dr. Stark, therefore, looked at Veracruz as a marginal area and wished to discover how it interacted with and was affected by these more powerful states. Because obsidian (volcanic glass) makes excellent stone tools which hold a sharp edge, it was highly prized in antiquity and was widely traded. It is also of interest to archaeologists because its distribution in Middle America is highly localized and the number of sources small. Individual sources are chemically distinct, and through trace element analysis it is possible to match obsidian artifact with its geological source. On this basis it is possible to trace the movement of obsidian, to reconstruct economic patterns, and in turn to gain insight into the changing political landscape. In this project, the University of Missouri will conduct neutron activation analysis on a series of obsidian artifacts from a number of Veracruz sites. Through these, interactions with larger central Mexican states can be reconstructed. This research is important because it will increase our understanding of how the complex societies characteristic of many portions of the world develop and are maintained. It will also allow the maximum amount of information to be obtained from an already successful project.