Isotopic Tracers in Archaeology
Lead (Pb) and strontium (Sr) are among the most powerful isotopic tracers and are widely applied to problems in the fields of geology, environmental science, and archaeology. To date, much of my research has focused on using Pb and Sr isotope ratios to determine the provenance of artifacts found in the archaeological records of the Southwest United States (U.S.) and Mexico. These areas contain a rich archaeological record, with abundant evidence for complex prehispanic and post-contact networks of exchange that moved objects over long distances. Materials that flowed through these networks include blue-green stones (turquoise, malachite, azurite), marine shells, obsidian, copper bells, lead ores, ceramics, timber, fauna, and, after the arrival of the Spanish, large quantities of metal. For over a decade, I have engaged in research that seeks to clarify the sources of some of these materials in order to directly test existing ideas about interactions and exchange among ancient societies across the Southwest U.S. and Mesoamerica.
Turquoise
My most important contribution to the Southwestern and Mesoamerican archaeology has been the creation of an isotopic framework for determining the source of turquoise artifacts. The major turquoise deposits of North America are concentrated within the southwestern United States, across Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and southern California, and in northern Mexico, in the state of Sonora. However, in the archaeological record, turquoise artifacts are often found hundreds or thousands of miles from known mines. My research both addresses isotopic variation among geologic sources of turquoise and uses lead and strontium isotopes to link turquoise artifacts to their source. This research has involved the collaboration of geologists, archaeologists, and museums from across the U.S. and Mexico. Ongoing projects center on the determining the source of turquoise artifacts from Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico and the Aztec Templo Mayor in Mexico City, Mexico. |
More to come soon!
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