Research: Oregon Coast Obsidian Project

2003 excavations at the Indian Sands Site (35-CU-67) by the Oregon State University Department of Anthropology.
An unusually large number of small obsidian flakes were recovered during these investigations. Photo by Sam Willis.

Oregon Coast Obsidian Project

OREGON COAST OBSIDIAN PROJECT

In conjunction with Ann Bennett Rogers (Natural Resources Conservation Service), Scott Byram (Coquille Indian Tribe), Jon Erlandson (University of Oregon), Roberta Hall (Oregon State University), Robert Losey (University of Alberta), Sam Willis (Eastern Washington University), and Phyllis Steeves and Courtney Cloyd (Siuslaw National Forest), we are well along with an XRF and obsidian hydration study of obsidian artifacts from archaeological sites located along the Oregon coast. To date, we have analyzed over 500 obsidian artifacts from Tahkenitch Landing (35-DO-130), Umpqua/Eden Site (35-DO-83), Neptune (35-LA-3), Seal Rock (35-LNC-14), Whale Cove (35-LNC-60), Indian Sands (35-CU-67), Pistol River (35-CU-61), Pistol River Mouth Dunes (35-CU-31), Chetlessenten (35-CU-61A), Netarts Spit (35-TI-1), Par-Tee (35-CT-20, and several other small sites from the southern, central, and northern coast. In conjunction with the archaeological material, we have also analyzed a large collection of naturally-occuring obsidian pebbles that can be found in the Siuslaw River near Florence (Oregon's only indigenous coastal source of obsidian).

Our objectives in this project have been relatively straightforward:

To identify and geochemically characterize all natural sources of obsidian along the Oregon coast.
To geochemically characterize a 100% sample of archaeological obsidian recovered from Oregon coastal sites and to determine the geologic sources of as many of the specimens as possible.
To measure the hydration rims of artifacts from selected sites so as to gain some perspective of the time depth and diachronic characteristics of prehistoric obsidian use along the coast.
To describe and contrast the regional prehistoric obsidian procurement patterns along the coast.
To investigate the mechanisms and cultural implications of those procurement patterns.

With a few notable exceptions (the Umpqua/Eden and Indian Sands sites), obsidian is typically found only in very small quantities at Oregon coastal sites. We hope to eventually analyze much of the material that has been so far recovered during coastal excavations and surveys that have been carried out since the early 1870's. If you would like to participate in this project (no cost to participants), please contact Craig Skinner.

We'll soon be reporting the results of our analytical studies in this section of the laboratory website and will also make all analytical data available for downloading.

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Last Updated: 03/28/2007
Northwest Research Obsidian Studies Laboratory