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Obsidian Dating in California: Theory and Practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Clement W. Meighan
Clement W. Meighan*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024
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Abstract

A review of the obsidian hydration rates proposed for California obsidian sources raises questions of both practical and theoretical nature about the use of obsidian dating. Obsidian hydration rates so far proposed (primarily but not exclusively by Jonathon Ericson) require careful evaluation and checking against empirical data; routine use of the preliminary rates ignores cautions raised by the investigators and can lead to inaccurate chronological determinations. Used with discrimination, however, obsidian dating does yield chronological ages in which there can be a reasonable degree of confidence.

Type
Comments
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 48 , Issue 3 , July 1983 , pp. 600 - 609
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1983

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References

References Cited

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