Further Reading

Curious To Explore The Science Behind Our Work?

This section offers a curated selection of foundational and advanced readings in archaeometry, with a focus on obsidian characterization and XRF applications in archaeology. Whether you’re building your research base or diving deeper into elemental analysis, these resources are a great place to start.

Obsidian Characterisation Studies

Cauvin, M.-C., Gourgaud, A., Gratuze, B., Arnaud, N., Poupeau, G., Poidevin, J.L. & Chataigner, C. (eds.) (1998). L’Obsidienne au Proche et Moyen Orient: Du Volcan à l’Outil. Maison de l’Orient Méditerranéen, BAR International Series 738, Archaeopress, Oxford.
Clark, D.W. and McFayden Clark, A. (1993), Batza Téna. Trail to Obsidian. Archaeology at an Alaskan Obsidian Source. Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull.
Cobean, R.H. (2002). A World of Obsidian. The Mining and Trade of a Volcanic Glass in Ancient Mexico. Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia / University of Pittsburgh, San Ángel.
Costa, L.J. (2007). L’Obsidienne. Un Témoin d’Échanges en Méditerranée Préhistorique. Éditions Errance, Paris.
Glascock, M.D., Speakman, R.J. & Neff, H. (2007). ‘Archaeometry at the University of Missouri Research Reactor and the provenance of obsidian artifacts in North America’, Archaeometry 49(2): 343–357.
Hughes, R.E. (ed.) (1989). Current Directions in California Obsidian Studies. Archaeological Research Facility, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley.
Kuzmin, Y.V. and Glascock, M.D. (eds.) (2010). Crossing the Straits: Prehistoric Obsidian Source Exploitation in the North Pacific Rim. BAR International Series 2152, Archaeopress, Oxford.
Shackley, M.S. (1998). Archaeological Obsidian Studies: Method and Theory. Springer/Plenum Press, New York.
Pollard, M.A. and Heron, C. (2008). Archaeological Chemistry. RSC Publishing, Cambridge (Chapter 3).
Pollman, H.-O. (1999). Obsidian-Bibliographie. Artefakt und Provenienz. Der Anschnitt Zeitschrift für Kunst und Kultur im Bergbau, Beiheft 10, Bochum.
Reepmeyer, C., Spriggs, M., Anggraeni, Lape, P., Neri, L., Ronquillo, W.P., Simanjuntak, T., Summerhayes, G., Tanudirjo, D. and Tiauzon, A. (2011). ‘Obsidian sources and distribution systems in Island Southeast Asia: new results and implications from geochemical research using LA-ICPMS’, Journal of Archaeological Science 38: 2995-3005.
Wasilewski, M. (2011). Obsidians in the Valley of the Volcanoes, Peru. BAR International Series 2223, Archaeopress, Oxford.

XRF Analyses In Archaeology

Craig, N., Speakman, R.J., Popelka-Filcoff, R.S., Glascock, M.D., Robertson, J.D., Shackley, M.S. & Aldenderfer, M.S. (2007). ‘Comparison of XRF and PXRF for analysis of archaeological obsidian from Perú’, Journal of Archaeological Science 34: 2012-2024.
Mantler, M. and Schreiner, M. (2000). ‘X-ray fluorescence spectrometry in art and archaeology’, X-Ray Spectrometry 29: 3-7.
Shackley, M.S. (1998). ‘Gamma rays, X-rays and stone tools: some current advances in archaeological geochemistry’, Journal of Archaeological Science 25: 259–270.
Shackley, M.S. (ed.) (2011). X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) in Geoarchaeology. Springer, New York.
Uda, M., Demortier, G. and Nakai, I. (eds.) (2005). X-Rays for Archaeology. Springer, New York.

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Curious To Explore The Science Behind Our Work?

Obsidian Characterisation Studies

XRF Analyses In Archaeology

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