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Near-Infrared Spectrometry of Stone Celts in Precontact British Columbia, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Jesse Morin
Jesse Morin*
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Abstract

Research into broad patterns of trade and exchange in precontact British Columbia, Canada, has been very limited. This paper addresses that shortcoming by presenting the results of a mineralogical study of 1,374 stone celts and 131 sawn cores from which celts were manufactured from 196 archaeological sites across British Columbia. These artifacts were an integral part of the woodworking toolkits of aboriginal peoples in this region from ca. 3500 B.P. to around contact at about 180 B.P. The mineralogy of these artifacts was determined using a portable near-infrared spectrometer, and the resulting data mapped using Geographic Information Systems. The results of this study indicate that celt production and exchange largely occurred within five discrete celt stone regions. For two of these celt stone regions—the Salish Sea and the Canadian Plateau—1 argue that these represent interaction spheres. Only in the Salish Sea were considerable numbers of celts imported from another region. For the remaining three regions, not enough data are available on the geological distribution of various celt stones or on the spatial patterns of celt production to differentiate regional interaction from individual procurement and production.

Résumé

Résumé

El estudio de patrones extensos de intercambio y comercio durante la época prehispdnica en la Columbia Británica de Canadá ha sido bastante limitado. Este artículo presenta información sobre este tema, precisamente, demostrando los resultados del estudio mineralógico de 1347 hachas de piedra y 131 núcleos liticos utilizados para manufacturar estas mismas. Estos artefactos de piedra fueron recuperados de 196 sitios arqueológicos a lo largo de la Columbia Británica. Las hachas de piedra conformaron una parte integral dentro del conjunto de herramientas que los grupos Aborígenes de esta región utilizaban para labrar la madera y datan aproximadamente desde 3500 a.P. hasta elperiodo del contacto Europeo alrededor del año 180 a.P. La mineralogía de estos artefactos fue determinada a través de un análisis usando el espectrómetro del infrarrojo cercano portátil y los datos resultantes se colocaron en un mapa empleando el Sistema de Información Geográfica. Los resultados de este estudio indican que la produccidn e intercambio de hachas de piedra se llevó a cabo, en su mayor parte, dentro de cinco regiones específicas. En referenda a los resultados de las dos regiones Mar Salish y la Planicie Canadiense propongo que éstas representan esferas de interactión. Únicamente en la región Mar Salish se encontraron un número considerable de hachas de piedra importadas de otra región. Respecto a las tres regiones restantes, no fue posible obtener suficientes datos sobre la distribución geológica de varias hachas de piedra ni sobre los patrones espaciales de producción de las hachas que pudieran ayudarnos a diferenciar entre las interacciones regionales y la obtención y producción individual de estas mismas.

Type
Articles
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 80 , Issue 3 , July 2015 , pp. 530 - 547
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 2015

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