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Mass Production and Procurement at Valle del Azufre: A Unique Archaeological Obsidian Source in Baja California Sur

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

M. Steven Shackley ,
Justin R. Hyland  and
Maria de la Luz Gutierrez M.
M. Steven Shackley
Affiliation:
Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology and Department of Anthropology, 103 Kroeber Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3712
Justin R. Hyland
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, 232 Kroeber Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3710
Maria de la Luz Gutierrez M.
Affiliation:
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Centro Regional, Av. 16 de Septiembre No. 1520, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
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Abstract

Valle del Azufre is a newly discovered source of high-quality obsidian in central Baja California, which exhibits the most intensive exploitation of any known source in the greater United States Southwest and Northwest Mexico. Over 15 subsurface trenches and at least one adit occur at the source. Evidence for the prehistoric distribution of Valle del Azufre obsidian is presented based on energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry characterization of the source material and artifacts from the Baja California peninsula. Despite the intensity of exploitation at the source, the distribution of Valle del Azufre glass appears to be largely restricted to the central part of the peninsula.

Resumen

Resumen

Valle del Azufre es un recién descubierto yacimiento de obsidiana de alta calidad. Este yacimiento exhibe una explotación intensiva, mayor que cualquier otro yacimiento en el suroeste de los Estados Vnidos y el noroeste de México. Hay más de 15 minas en el yacimiento. Se presenta evidencia acerca de la distributión prehistórica de obsidiana de Valle del Azufre basada en la caracterización química de la materia prima y artefactos que proceden de diversas partes de la península de Baja California. A pesar de la intensidad de la explotación en el yacimiento, aparentemente la distributión del vidrio volcánico de Valle del Azufre se restringe principalmente al área central de la península.

Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 61 , Issue 4 , October 1996 , pp. 718 - 731
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1996

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