Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-03T00:33:52.417Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Obsidian Hydration Dating Update

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Irving Friedman
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225
Fred Trembour
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225

Abstract

The obsidian hydration dating technique has been refined since its invention in 1960. The hydration process slows down as it proceeds and appears to follow the relation: hydration thickness is proportional to the square root of time. The variables that influence the hydration rate are mainly the temperature experienced by the object to be dated and its chemical composition.

Methods of estimating effective integrated field temperatures and composition variables of obsidians are discussed.

Type
Reports
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References Cited

Ambrose, Walter R. 1976 Intrinsic Hydration Rate Determinations. In Advances in Obsidian Glass Studies, edited by Taylor, R. F., pp. 81105. Noyes Press, Park Ridge, N. J. Google Scholar
Findlow, Frank J. 1977 A Revision in the Government Mountain, Sitgraves Peak, Arizona Obsidian Hydration Rate. The Kiva 43:2729.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friedman, Irving, and Long, William 1976 Hydration Rate of Obsidian. Science 191:347352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Friedman, Irving, and Obradovich, John 1981 Obsidian Hydration Dating of Volcanic Events. Quaternary flesearch 16:3747.Google Scholar
Friedman, Irving, and Smith, R. L. 1960 A New Dating Method Using Obsidian: Part I, The Development of the Method. American Antiquity 25:476-493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friedman, Irving, and Trembour, Fred 1978 Obsidian: The Dating Stone. American Scientist 66:4451.Google Scholar
Michels, J. W. 1981 Mohlab Technical Report Series, Nos. 1, 2, 3. Mohlab State College, Pennsylvania.Google Scholar
Michels, J. W. 1981 -1982 Mohlab Technical Report Series, Nos. 1 through 14. Mohlab State College, Pennsylvania.Google Scholar
Michels, Joseph W., and Tsong, Ignatius S. T. 1980 Obsidian Hydration Dating: A Coming of Age. In Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory, vol. 3, edited by Schiffer, M. B., pp. 405444. Academic Press, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Brien, Phillip J. 1971 Pallmann Method for Mass Sampling of Soil, Water or Air Temperatures. Geological Society of America Bulletin 82:29272932.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suzuki, M. 1973 Chronology of Prehistoric Human Activity in Kanto, Japan. Journal of the Faculty of Science 5:241-318. University of Tokyo. Google Scholar