Colm'adfJ archaeologists have noted the presence of obsidian tools and debitage in archaeological sites for decades, but have recently increased their use of trace element analysis to determine the provenance of the mate1'l·al. Due to the small assemblages at all but a handful of sites, these characterization data have not been synthesized into patterns of regional lithic proCU7'ement andlm' ex...

Archaeological evidence of people's choices regarding how they supply themselves with obsidian through direct access and different types of exchanges gives us insight in to mobility, social networks, and property rights in the distant past. Here we use collections of obsidian artefacts that date to a period of endemic warfare among Maori during New Zealand's Late Period (1500-1769 A.D.) to dete...

The geometry of mesoscopic single and multiple layer folds in rhyolitic obsidian ̄ows is investigated. Folds are composed of obsidian embedded in a matrix of pumice. Folds form by buckling processes as indicated by discontinuous deformation between obsidian and pumice layers and by the geometries of wavetrains. Buckling occurs through a continuum of styles controlled largely by the thickness ra...

Computers today are becoming more and more parallel. General purpose processors (CPUs) have multiple processing cores and Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) units for data-parallelism. Graphics processors (GPUs) bring massive parallelism at the cost of being harder to program than CPUs. This thesis applies embedded language methodology to data-parallel programming. Two embedded languages a...

The reason for the choice of a specific type of obsidian for tool manufacturing is generally assumed to be related to the location of the source, the appearance of the material, and/or the sociopolitical relationships that may restrict its procurement, rather than the inherent qualities of the type of obsidian. This research examines the use of Monte Arci obsidian (types SA and SC) using macros...

Nanomineralogy is the study of Earth and planetary materials at nanoscales, focused on characterizing nanofeatures (like inclusions, exsolution, zonation, coatings, pores) in minerals and rocks, and revealing nanominerals and nanoparticles [1]. With advanced high-resolution analytical scanning electron microscope, we are now capable to characterize solid materials easier and faster down to nano...

In this paper, we explore the conditions that led to the origins and development of the Near Eastern Neolithic using mathematical modelling of obsidian exchange. The analysis presented expands on previous research, which established that the down-the-line model could not explain long-distance obsidian distribution across the Near East during this period. Drawing from outcomes of new simulations...

, Japan. E-mail : tsutsumi Received December , . Accepted February , . * @avis. ne. jp This paper discusses the procurement and utilization of obsidian by the microblade industries of the terminal Late Palaeolithic in the Chubu and Kanto districts of central Japan at the end of the last glaciation, cal BP. The core of the discussion is based on the source determinations for obsidian artifacts f...

Kendale Hecala is located on the Ambar River in Upper Tigris Basin, province of Diyarbakır Southeast Anatolia. Various raw materials, including obsidian, radiolarite, chert, jasper, chalcedony, and quartzite, were used lithic industry. Obsidian artefacts constitute an average 64% chipped stone assemblage. Technological analysis reveals that obsidian was brought to settlement as nodules into var...