The Sources and Distribution of Sardinian Obsidian

The nature and extent of the obsidian "trade" in the neolithic and bronze ages of the western Mediterranean are being redefined by the thorough chemical characterization of geological sources of obsidian in Sardinia followed by analysis of statistically significant series of obsidian artifacts from stratified archaeological contexts. Pilot studies by Renfrew and his colleagues were provocative but severely limited by inadequate geological source information, and small numbers of poorly representative archaeological samples. Approximately 1000 pieces of obsidian from museum and university collections are being analyzed by ICP Mass Spectrometry and Electron Microprobe, and distribution patterns for each of six cultural periods will be determined. Several interpretive strategies, including mathematical models, will be utilized to infer particular types of social organization and exchange systems, while chronological changes in distribution pattern may be explained by the development of hierarchical societies, territorial control, and more efficient transport mechanisms.