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OHD Temperature Control Chile
OHD Temperature Control Chile
AND
CHRISTOPHERM. STEVENSON-t
*Departmeni of Anthropology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853; and TDiffusion Laboratories,
Archaeological Services Con.sultants, Box 02095. Columbus, Ohio 42302
Received August 7. 1990
Effective hydration temperature (EHT) is essential for the computation of obsidian hydration
dates. In the Atacama Desert, the scarcity of air-temperature records combines with extremes of
elevation and local temperature to encourage, or even require, the use of buried thermal cells to
record on-‘site mean annual temperatures. Compositional analysis (sourcing) and hydration rate
development in the laboratory are also necessary, especially where other dating methods are
unavailable to confirm the hydration rate. Paleoindian or Early Archaic through modern obsidian
dates support a human settlement pattern history derived from archaeological/geomorphological
studies of climatological and hydrological change. ia 1992 Umversity of Washington.
117
0033-5894/92 $3.00
Copyright 0 1992 by the University of Washington.
All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
118 LYNCH AND SlbVtNSON
1988). Seven independent measurements glasses that indicate diverse \OLII-ccs were
were made and a mean value and standard utilized in this volcanically active area.
deviation were calculated (Table I ). The Some obsidian may have come from a pri-
standard deviations represented the preci- mary source near Meniques-Miscanti in the
sion errors associated with the measure- eastern catchment of the Salar de Atacama
ment process and were used to determine (Niemeyer and Schiappacasse. IY76). but
the uncertainty factor for each age determi- the considerable diversity within the Punta
nation. Within the set of 26 samples from I1 Negra collections suggests that several
sites. two thin sections did not possess hy- sources were in common use. To determine
dration rims. In addition, these materials the number of glasses represented in the
appeared to have a fine crystalline struc- remaining sample of 24 pieces. a subset of
ture. These attributes suggest that two sam- 12 was chemically analyzed using X-ray flu-
ples (89-124 and 89-126) are possibly chert orescence (XRF).
or flint. Prior to the analysis, the microscopic at-
tributes of each thin section had been ex-
COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS amined. This resulted in the recognition of
The specific obsidian quarries used by three distinct types of glass: (a) clear obsid-
the prehistoric inhabitants of the Punta ian with few inclusions, (b) obsidian with
Negra region have not been located. Visual high densities of small phenocrysts and dis-
inspection of the archaeological collections persed crystals, and (cl obsidian with
revealed a variety of different colored spherical inclusions. At the end of the de-
u ? indicates obsidian source assignment was made on the basis of visual analysis.
CHILEAN OBSIDIAN AGES 119
scriptive process, specimens from each cat- conditions. The geochemical data gener-
egory were selected for chemical analysis. ated under these conditions are presented
The 12 specimens from the archaeological on Table 2.
assemblage were first ground to a 325-mesh An inspection of the trace element data
powder in an agate mortar and pestle and (Table 2) indicates that four distinct obsid-
mixed with methyl cellulose in a constant ians were present within the assemblage.
ratio of 0..5.5/0..45 (sample/cellulose). Then Chemical Group 1 corresponded with the
the mixture was formed into a pellet 3.2 cm clear obsidian and formed the largest set.
in diameter at 1680 psi. Group 2 corresponded to the obsidian with
Analytical standards NBS 278 Obsidian high densities of small phenocrysts and dis-
Rock and USGS RGM-1 were prepared in persed crystals, while Group 3 correlated
the same manner as the archaeological sam- with the obsidian containing spherical bod-
ples and were used to calibrate the XRF ies. In all but one case there was a perfect
system. During analysis, the archaeological correspondence between the visual sourc-
samples and thle standards were placed un- ing and the groups defined using the trace
der vacuum in an auto sample chamber of a element data. A Group-4 specimen (89-l 23)
Kevex 0700 X-,ray fluorescence subsystem. was also a clear obsidian that could not be
The equipment consisted of a rhodium X- visually distinguished from the Group- 1
ray tube, with ,a programmable high-voltage specimens.
power supply, a 15-position sample drive These preliminary data suggest that
module, and the X-ray detector. many of the Punta Negra obsidians can be
X-ray spectra were acquired over 500 set sourced using simple petrographic analysis.
of live counting time using the solid state The inability to distinguish between Groups
Si(Li) detector which recorded characteris- 1 and 4, however, indicated that errors can
tic X-rays for elements with an atomic num- be made. Additional tests of the method are
ber greater than 10. The spectrum for ele- needed, but for the moment the remaining
ments with an energy range of 1.00 to 40.0 samples in the assemblage have been as-
keV were collected under five excitation signed to a chemical group based upon vi-
Chemical Group I
Chemical Group 2
89-l 12 39 63 86 220 - 28 19 1290
89-l 18 7 52 103 222 21 13 1180
89-125 17 61 92 221 - - IS 1210
Chemical Group 3
Chemical Group 4
89-123 II 20 644 17 7 17 64
120 I.YN(‘H AND STt.VtNSON
each sample was thin sectioned and the hy- FIG. I. Preexponential plot at 16oY ti)r Chemical
dration rim measured (Table 3). The in- Group I obsidian.
Kim
Laboratory Temperature Duration width
number VT) (days) (pm) I (T
and expensive. research design. In the in- and establish a local temperature gradient
terim, for this experiment we attempted to or altitudinal lapse rate (Trembour et al.,
date only specimens found on the surface, 1986). The six cells were retrieved a year
except for 89.-133 (PN 11X) which came later, after the capsule of polycarbonate
from 10 cm be:low the surface. resin had absorbed part of the distilled wa-
There is no way of knowing whether all ter in which it was submerged. The rate of
of these artifacts have lain on the surface water diffusion through the capsule wall
through their entire history since manufac- was dependent on soil temperature, which,
ture. In fact, it is unlikely, in that most of at 20 cm depth, may approximate an EHT
the sites studied are blowouts or have been computed from air temperature. Shipped in
churned thoroughly by burrowing rodents desiccator cylinders to the laboratory, the
(especially Ctcnomys robustus and C. fill- capsules were reweighed, and the increase
VUS) to a dep,th of about 30 cm. Average in weight was converted to an integrated
depth of burial, through time, may well ap- temperature value (or EHT), using con-
proach 20 cm. The effect of diurnal temper- stants derived from experimentally deter-
ature extremes on the hydration of surface mined values (Ambrose, 1980). It was felt
specimens, as opposed to more steady sub- that these values should more accurately
surface temperatures of essentially the reflect the soil temperatures in which these
same mean value, should be questioned, shallow sites’ artifacts have hydrated than
but there is no way to quantify the error would air temperatures from distant
factor in this experiment. weather stations.’ The variance within the
Another uncontrolled variable, usually pairs of cells was cO.O6”C, and all results
ignored in obsidian hydration dating, is the (9.47” to 13.89”C) were expected for the lat-
inevitable slight change in mean annual itude and altitudes of the project area. (For
temperature over the millennia probably the purposes of this paper, the significance
covered by thie experiment. Nevertheless, of these measurements is reduced to 0. I’C.)
our EHT values calculated for the Punta These EHTs are considered reliable and
Negra region have yielded hydration ages were applied to the archaeological sites at
that are unusually consistent with, and in which they were determined.
all but one case fall within, the expected
span of settlement history. ’ Accurate, long-term air temperature records are
Soil temperatures were calculated from not available in the unpopulated project area. Never-
Ambrose-type: cells (Table 4). Three pairs theless. the mean annual temperatures for the cities of
of thermal cells were buried in sites PN 89 Oruro (10°C) and Cochabamba (16”(Z), nearly 500 km
to the north and slightly east, compare well (Rudloff,
(elevation 30210m), PN 71 (3560 m), and PN 1981). At 3706 m elevation. the station at Oruro is
36 (3730 m) in order to measure accurately equivalent to PN 36 at 3730 m, while Cochabamba, 450
the effective hydration temperature (EHT) m lower than PN 89, is the expected 2°C warmer.
hydration experiment yielded very reason- 71 and PN 89, and use that single EHT for
able results, even though it was based on a all sites except PN 36. That procedure
small number d specimens of a single ob- would have yielded a date of only 7278 B.C.
sidian type. In a report written before the for specimen 89-117. Finally, and perhaps
results from this hydration analysis were most significantly, it should be noted that
available, Lynch (1990) had concluded that PN 99 is 80 to 110 km south of the temper-
middle Archaic (6000-3500 B.C.) sites, to ature-controlled sites. Obsidian hydration
judge from the types represented in surface dating is extremely temperature-sensitive.
collections, were scarce in the Punta Negra To complete this project satisfactorily we
region. After reviewing late glacial lake- will need more closely spaced temperature
level records, changes in vegetation, and controls, more subsurface specimens to
evidence of glacier advance and retreat in date, hydration dates directly on chrono-
the south-central Andes, he proposed hu- logically sensitive artifact types, and con-
man entry of the area by the early Archaic firmation dates by the radiocarbon or other
(9000-6000 B.C.), subsequent depopulation techniques.
and perhaps abandonment, then readapta-
tion to more localized resources after 3500 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
B.C. In apparent support of the hypothesis, Ambrose-design thermal cells were provided by Jo-
only one of the 16 dates obtained from the seph Michels. whose advice is gratefully acknowl-
experimental hydration rate constants (89- edged. MOHLAB determined the EHT values. Cor-
116 from PN 99: 4234 B.C.) falls in the mid- nell University geologists Arthur Bloom and Andrew
Fox collaborated in geomorphological aspects of the
dle Archaic pleriod. At the upper end, the project, while Lynch thanks especially Sergio Valen-
latest date of A.D. 1463 (89-132 from PN zuela and Dennis Stansbury, of Minera Escondida, for
36) conforms well to the depopulation of their aid in burial and recovery of the thermal cells.
the zone after the Spanish invasion. Also, Support was provided by the National Science Foun-
late projectile: point types and numerous dation (BNS-8418815), the Jacob and Hedwig Hirsch
Fund, and Minera Escondida.
potsherds were found on the surface of
PN 36. REFERENCES
In general, t.he dates in Table 1 agree well
Ambrose. W. R. (1980). Monitoring long-term temper-
with what is known of the chronology of ature and humidity. Bulletin of the Institute for the
projectile point types in the Atacama Des- Conservation of Cultural Material 6(l), 36-42.
ert. Only the (extraordinarily early determi- Flint, R. F. (1971). “Glacial and Quatemary Geolo-
nation of lo,3101 B.C. (89-l 17 from PN 99), gy.” Wiley, New York.
which was associated with early Archaic Fox, A. N., and Strecker, M. R. (1991). Pleistocene
and modern snowline trends and controls of moun-
triangular points, is seriously out of line.
tain glaciation, northern Sierras Pampeanas-
Even if human beings were present in Southern Puna; Argentine Andes (24” to 28” S lati-
South America at that time, the high- tude, 65” to 69” W longitude). Bamberger Geogra-
altitude locale: (3580 m) was probably either phische Schriften 10.
exceedingly cold, barren, and arid or quite Graf, K. (1981). Zum Hohenverlauf der Subnivalstufe
in den Tropischen Anden, insbesondere in Bolivien
possibly under the waters of a higher La-
und Ecuador. Zeitschriff fiir Geomorphologie 37,
guna de Pajonales. l-24.
What, then, is the explanation for the ex- Johnson, A. M. (1976). The climate of Peru, Bolivia,
cessively late date at PN 99? One possibil- and Ecuador. In “World Survey of Climatology”
ity is that we have selected the wrong tem- (W. Schwerdtfeger, Ed.), Vol. 12, pp. 147-218.
Elsevier. New York.
perature cells from which to extrapolate the Lynch, T. F. (1984). The Salar de Punta Negra: Late
EHTs for the sites that did not have on-site and postglacial climate change, water budgets, and
temperature controls. Stevenson at first settlement around a former freshwater lake. Amer-
was inclined 1.0 average the results from PN ican Quaternury Association Programs and Ab-
124 1.yNC.H AND Sl EVENSON