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

在大卫梅尔策博士的指导下，罗莎娜·里丁斯女士将 为她的博士论文收集资料。 她工作的目标 是为了提高黑曜石水合年代测定的准确性， 要做到这一点，她将仔细分析挖掘和良好的 波特溪遗址的黑曜石工具样本 普韦布洛，位于新墨西哥州的北方格兰德河附近。 黑曜石（火山玻璃），因为它很容易剥落， 锋利的边缘是一种被广泛使用来制造石头的珍贵材料 工具. 因为刚剥落的表面会产生可测量的 因为水化皮的深度是时间 依赖，许多科学家试图使用果皮厚度 以确定工具制造的年龄。 然而，据了解， 果皮的发育取决于温度， 第二个独立变量也必须考虑在内。 由于气候和温度随时间波动， 考古学家还没有确定温度测量 以及如何进行后续分析。 瑞丁斯女士的工作将有助于解决这个问题。 首先她 本文将对这三种方法进行系统的比较 目前用于测量和估计有效水合作用 考古遗址的温度。 然后她会比较 结果 其次，Pot Creek Pueblo的气候将是 在过去的850年里，使用树木年轮宽度和 同位素组成 西南部的独特之处在于 树的年轮数据。 最后，她将模拟 沉积历史的文物，以整合的变化， 有效水化温度随时间的变化。 然后她会用 这些数据来分析黑曜石文物本身。 给定 过去的工作在现场，这些材料的年龄可以是 独立决定。 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年代测定技术 其在世界上许多地方被使用。 它还将 协助培养一位极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.