Obsidian from Middle Woodland sites in the Illinois River Valley

1. Obsidian from Middle Woodland sitesin the Illinois River Valley Michael D. Wiant Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds Richard Hughes Geochemical Research Laboratory

2. Obsidian artifacts (n=176) from Napoleon Hollow samplegrouped by artifact class

3. Example of some of the observations recorded for obsidian artifacts found in the Illinois River Basin

4. Obsidian artifacts (n=432) from Illinois River Basin samplegrouped by artifact class

5. Preliminary distribution of siteswith obsidian artifacts

6. Barnhill site blade core

7. Number of obsidian artifacts from Illinois River Basin samplein each artifact class assayed by Hughes

8. Sources of obsidian artifacts from Illinois River Basin subsample

9. Obsidian Cliff, WY Bear Gulch, ID Teton Pass, WY Black Rock, UT

10. Sources of obsidian artifacts from Illinois subsamples

11. Context of obsidian artifacts from Illinois River Basin samplegrouped by artifact class

13. The Sources of Obsidian Found at Middle Woodland sites in Illinois Michael Wiant Illinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds Richard Hughes Geochemical Research Laboratory Photograph by Doug Carr

14. Structure 1 post mold pattern at Napoleon Hollow (11PK500).The orange spot marks the location of a hearth.

15. Obsidian flakes, Napoleon Hollow

16. Context of obsidian use:individual/group/community/society, specific/general ritual

17. Obsidian artifacts from Illinois:surface collected specimens estimated age circa 2000-1700 BPexcavated specimens circa 1800 BP Mississippi and Illinois river basins Barnhill site blade core?

18. Background

19. Squire, E. and E. Davis. 1848. Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. Smithsonian.

20. E. Squier and E. Davis 1848.Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. Smithsonian. “Some spear-points of obsidian have been found, which, judging from the fragments, must have been of large dimensions. The ready fracture of this mineral, upon exposure to strong heat, has been exceedingly unfavorable to the recovery entire of any articles composed of it. This is the more to be regretted, from the fact that it is believed to be found in place only in Mexico and the volcanic regions of the South-west, and a comparison of the articles found here with those of the same material obtained from that direction, might serve to throw some degree of light upon the origin and connections of the race of the mounds.” (page 212)

21. Moorehead, W. K. 1922. The Hopewell Mound Group of Ohio.Field Museum of Natural History Publication 211.

22. Moorehead, W. K. 1922. The Hopewell Mound Group of Ohio.Field Museum of Natural History Publication 211. Frederic Ward “Putnam informed me that the obsidian came from Yellowstone Park, not from New Mexico or California. If such was the case, it must have been brought by canoe at least three thousand miles down the Yellowstone, thence down the Missouri, up the Ohio, and up the Scioto to the Hopewell group. …The objects were not made on the Hopewell site, for no chips have been found there, or anywhere in the Ohio Valley.” (page 133).

23. Perino excavations

24. Obsidian point(notched flake)Bedford Mound 12 , primary log tombKen Farnsworth

25. Struever lowilva surveys • Collector interviews • Pedestrian reconnaissance of Illinois River valley and its tributaries • Excavation of Middle Woodland settlements

26. Meredosia core25 – 30 poundsCollected by Bob JenkinsHildebrand siteKen Farnsworth photo

27. Griffin. J.B. 1965. Hopewell and the Dark Black Glass.Michigan Archaeologist.

28. Griffin. J.B. 1965. Hopewell and the Dark Black Glass.Michigan Archaeologist. Summary of inventory of obsidian artifacts from Illinois:by artifact category

29. Summary of Griffin 1965 inventory of obsidian artifacts from Illinois: by context

30. Griffin conclusions • …groups characterized as Hopewellian acquired obsidian between A.D. 100 and A.D. 200; • …the Rocky Mountain region was the most likely source of obsidian; • …when compared to Ohio, there are considerable regional differences in obsidian use; and, • …the quantity of obsidian in the Midwest suggests that “Hopewellian obsidian was obtained, distributed, and consumed within a relatively short span of time.”

31. Neutron activation

32. Griffin, Gordus, and Wright. 1969. Identification of the Sources of Hopewellian Obsidian in the Middle West.American Antiquity 34(1)

33. Obsidian Outcrops in Wyoming http://www.obsidianlab.com/image_maps/image_maps.html&usg

34. Obsidian Cliff, Wyoming

35. Griffin et al. conclusions • “…elemental composition of Middle Western obsidian indicate very clearly that Obsidian Cliff and one unidentified source in Yellowstone Park provided the raw material to Middle Woodland Hopewellian populations.” • “The limitation of obsidian in the Middle West to a segment of the Hopewellian time period is important in understanding the presence of obsidian in the Middle West.” • The marked difference in the utilization of obsidian in Ohio and in the Upper Mississippi Valley is also of importance and should form the basis for another paper.” (page 13)

36. Current Research

37. Obsidian artifacts from Napoleon Hollow site (n=176)(Wiant and McGimsey 1986)

38. Obsidian Artifacts from Illinois Database

39. Unretouched obsidian artifacts from Middle Woodland sitesin Illinois River Valley (n=359)

40. Retouched obsidian artifacts from Middle Woodland sitesin Illinois River Valley (n=24)

41. Considerations… • With the exception of excavated material, the Illinois assemblage is largely a grab sample acquired through surface collecting; • Of note is what is missing. Production of a single biface or a lamellar flake core would generate hundreds of flakes;

42. Preliminary map of sites where obsidian have been foundin lowilva

43. Research of Richard HughesDirector, Geochemical Research Laboratory • Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis • Analysis of rubidium, strontium, ytrium, zirconium, and niobium; also barium concentration and iron vs. manganese ratios • Previous Illinois research • specimens from American Bottom (Hughes and Fortier 1997, 2007); x + 10 specimens, x + 9 consistent with samples from Obsidian Cliff, one from Bear Gluch, Idaho source • Analysis of specimen from Upper Mississippi Valley (Stoltman and Hughes 2004) indicates acquisition of Obsidian Cliff material during Early Woodland Period. Conclusion buttressed by assay of blade core from Early Woodland midden in American Bottom (Hughes and Fortier 2007)

44. Obsidian artifacts from lowilva assayed by Hughes

45. Results of assay of obsidian artifacts from lowilva(Hughes n.d.). Note: unknown, samples too small for assay.

46. Obsidian Outcrops in Wyoming http://www.obsidianlab.com/image_maps/image_maps.html&usg

47. Obsidian Outcrops in Utah http://www.obsidianlab.com/image_maps/image_maps.html&usg

48. Obsidian artifacts from sources other than Obsidian Cliff • Bear Gulch, Idaho: Frost site, surface, medial Type 3 flake with multidirectional flake scars, biface production? • Teton Pass, Wyoming: Woodville site, surface, Type 2 flake with cortex and multiple dorsal scars, formation of more desirable form? • Black Rock, Utah: Koster site, surface, multiple multi-directional flake scars, generation of amorphous flakes?

49. Summary and Conclusions

50. Griffin Recapitulated • …groups characterized as Hopewellian acquired obsidian between A.D. 100 and A.D. 200; • …the Rocky Mountain region was the most likely source of obsidian; • …when compared to Ohio, there are considerable regional differences in obsidian use; and, • …the quantity of obsidian in the Midwest suggests that “Hopewellian obsidian was obtained, distributed, and consumed within a relatively short span of time.”