Journal article
Geochemical source evaluation of archaeological chert from the Carson mounds site in northwestern Mississippi using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF)
Journal of archaeological science, reports, Vol.11, pp.381-389
02/01/2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.12.014
Abstract
Lithic artifacts made on Burlington chert from the Carson site in northwest Mississippi were geochemically measured using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Burlington chert is visually identifiable based on its whitish and translucent coloring; the rawmaterial and artifacts are usually associated with geologic sources located hundreds of miles to the north of Carson in the Central Mississippi Valley (CMV). Burlington chert is generally used to make microlithic tools that are found at large Mississippian centers in the CMV such as Cahokia, Zebree, and Labras Lake, all located upriver of the Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV) and of Carson. Herein we report on geochemical sourcing of Burlington chert from Carson; 99 samples were analyzed fromelite and non-elite contexts. Geochemical data were generated using pXRF technology and are used to evaluate models of trade and exchange in the LMV during the Mississippi period (1200-1540 CE). Preliminary findings indicate that Burlington chert did not originate exclusively from sources controlled by Cahokia (namely the Crescent Quarry), but rather, from a wide-ranging territory. Therefore, we propose thatmulti-agent, multi-source trade networks brought Burlington chert to Carson. Consequently, we suggest future testing should explore using additional geologic and archaeological samples the hypothesis that multiple, imbricated networks of trade and exchange were responsible for bringing Burlington chert to Carson. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Geochemical source evaluation of archaeological chert from the Carson mounds site in northwestern Mississippi using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF)
- Creators
- Jayur Madhusudan Mehta - New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, United StatesGrant McCall - Tulane UniversityTheodore Marks - University of IowaJames Enloe - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of archaeological science, reports, Vol.11, pp.381-389
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.12.014
- ISSN
- 2352-409X
- Number of pages
- 9
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/01/2017
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology; International Programs
- Record Identifier
- 9984270193502771
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