| Services | XRF analysis of obsidian and fine-grained volcanic (FGV) artifacts and identification of artifact sources |
|---|---|
| Contact(s) | Craig E. Skinner Jennifer J. Thatcher |
| Address |
Northwest Research Obsidian Studies Laboratory 3269 SE Summerfield Dr. Corvallis, OR 97333-2183 USA Phone: 541-754-7507 Fax: Discontinued E-mail: cskinner@obsidianlab.com E-mail: info@obsidianlab.com WWW: www.obsidianlab.com or www.sourcecatalog.com |
| Prices | 1-5 samples .......... $50 per sample 6-50 samples .......... $38 per sample 51-100 samples .......... $35 per sample 100+ samples .......... $32 per sample 10% discount for projects with no written report (tables and data only). 35% surcharge for rapid turnaround (two weeks or less) projects. |
| Destructive? | No |
| Elements Used | Zn, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ba |
| Sample Size and Preparation | Minimum diameter of 10 mm; minimum thickness of 1.5 mm; larger sizes are preferred. Samples should be clean and free of painted numbers on one surface. |
| Geographic Coverage | Obsidian sources in Oregon, California, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, British Columbia, and the Western Mediterranean are well covered; incomplete but improving coverage for Alaska, and other scattered areas in the Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, and Pacific islands. Fine-grained volcanic (FGV) source identification is available although limited primarily to artifacts from the Lake Tahoe area of east-central California. |
| Source List Available? | Yes - all obsidian sources included in the Northwest Research reference database are listed at the lab Web site. Descriptions of some sources can also be found in the U. S. Obsidian Source Catalog. |
| Reporting | Report suitable for appendix with data tables plus CD with data (paper and Adobe Acrobat). Sample reports are available for review. |
| Payment | Invoices are normally sent upon completion of project - payment may be made with cash, check, M.O., P.O., PayPal, Visa, or MasterCard. |
| Comments | Reports can be customized upon request. We maintain a very active research program and are constantly adding new sources to our reference database. We will analyze limited quantities of geologic obsidian source material at no charge for sources that we do not currently have in our reference collection. If you would like to take us up on this offer, please call for details. We are also interested in geoarchaeological studies of geologic sources of obsidian and will provide analytical support for graduate students with an interest in this topic. |
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