'They came from the ends of the earth': long-distance exchange of obsidian in the High Arctic during the Early Holocene. (18th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pitulko, Vladimir V.; Kuzmin, Yaroslav V.; Glascock, Michael D.; Pavlova, Elena Yu.; Grebennikov, Andrei V.
• Is Part Of: Antiquity. Volume 93:Number 367(2019)
• Page Start: 28
• Page End: 44
• Publication Date: 2019-02-18
• Subjects: Siberia, -- Zhokhov Island, -- Early Holocene, -- obsidian, -- provenancing, -- transport and exchange; Archaeology -- Periodicals; Antiquities -- Periodicals; 930.05
• DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2019.2
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-598X

Abstract

Abstract: Abstract : Zhokhov Island in the Siberian High Arctic has yielded evidence for some of the most remote prehistoric human occupation in the world, as well as the oldest-known dog-sled technology. Obsidian artefacts found on Zhokhov have been provenanced using XRF analysis to allow comparison with known sources of obsidian from north-eastern Siberia. The results indicate that the obsidian was sourced from Lake Krasnoe—approximately 1500km distant—and arrived on Zhokhov Island c . 8000 BP. The archaeological data from Zhokhov therefore indicate a super-long-distance Mesolithic exchange network.