Richard E Hughes
Biographic Data
| ID | 263717 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Richard E Hughes |
| GIVEN NAMES | Richard E |
| FAMILY NAME | Hughes |
| SIGNATURE | HUGHES R E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Geophysical Laboratory |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1668-3638 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 57 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 322 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 57 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1967 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
Legacy Data Illuminate Diachronic Change in Past Obsidian Use at the Howell’s Point Site (CA-Col-2), Central California
This paper evaluates the contemporary utility of legacy obsidian sourcing information by re-computing Robert N. Jack's x-ray fluorescence (XRF) data for artifacts from the Howell's Point archaeological site (CA-Col-2) in central California. Obsidian source attributions were corroborated and compared with detailed intra-site temporal phasing of artifacts from the site determined by James A. Bennyhoff. Conjoining these independent data sets reveale…
Long-Distance Obsidian Conveyance During the Neolithic
In this article, the authors contend that three blades, archaeometrically identified as made of obsidian from the Nemrut Dağ source in eastern Anatolia, were recovered from bona fide archaeological contexts at two sites in Poland. This is supported by somewhat contentious contextual evidence, which is thoroughly reviewed. If the findspots are accepted as genuine, these artefacts would mark the furthest western distribution of Nemrut Dağ obsidian,…
An Early Neolithic house in the Foothills
Obsidian projectile point conveyance patterns in the lower Humboldt Valley, Nevada
Despite their ubiquity, surface occurrences of obsidian artifacts at archaeological sites throughout western North America have traditionally been viewed as unworthy of serious attention because of the difficulty in dating them. In the past 40 years, the time sensitivity of certain Great Basin projectile point types has been established, which brings the importance of surface collections more center stage. With the coming of age and refinement of…
Leonard Rockshelter Revisited
Robert Heizer excavated Leonard Rockshelter (26Pe14) in western Nevada more than 70 years ago. He described stratified cultural deposits spanning the Holocene. He also reported obsidian flakes purportedly associated with late Pleistocene sediments, suggesting that human use extended even farther back in time. Because Heizer never produced a final report, Leonard Rockshelter faded into obscurity despite the possibility that it might contain a Clov…
Obsidian Source Use Within the Alföld Linear Pottery culture in Slovakia
This paper reports the results of non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of 186 obsidian artifacts from eight archaeological sites attributable to the Alföld Linear Pottery Culture (c. 5600-4900 cal BC). This is the largest instrument-based study yet conducted and reported for Alföld Linear Pottery Culture (ALPC) artifacts from Slovakia, where ALPC chipped lithic assemblages are almost entirely composed of obsidian …
Alpine archaeology of Alta Toquima and the Mt. Jefferson Tablelands (Nevada)
The Central Mountains Archaic began with the arrival of foraging populations in the Intermountain West about 6000 years ago. This migration coincided with the "extremely dramatic" winter-wet event of 4350 cal b.c. and the arrival of piñon pine forests in the central Great Basin. Human foragers likely played a significant role in the rapid spread of piñon across the central and northeastern Great Basin. Logistic hunters exploited local bighorn pop…
Evidence for Late Paleoindian Scavenging of Early Paleoindian Obsidian, Oklahoma Panhandle
An obsidian channel flake from the Late Paleoindian-aged Bull Creek camp (Oklahoma panhandle), analyzed by energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence, was determined to have been manufactured from obsidian of the Polvadera Peak chemical type in the Jemez Mountain region of north central New Mexico. Although Polvadera Peak is the primary source of the obsidian, the discovery of the channel flake within Late Paleoindian-aged deposits suggests the object …
Microblade technology, obsidian sourcing, and the Cody complex in early Holocene Alberta
Despite being an ephemeral presence in Plains archaeological assemblages, the distribution and technical specificity of early Holocene (Denali complex) microblade technology makes it readily identifiable and comparable to similarly-aged Paleoindian projectile point occurrences. In this paper we review the co-occurrence of Denali and Cody complex materials in Alberta, in particular the obsidian and Knife River Flint (KRF) artifacts of these two ea…
Material conveyance in the Southern California Bight
Inhabited by Native Americans for at least 13,000 years, California’s Channel Islands were isolated from the adjacent mainland throughout the Quaternary. A rich archaeological record demonstrates that island peoples thrived for millennia, with access to abundant marine and terrestrial resources. Exchange with mainlanders for various goods is well documented, with long-distance material conveyance occurring very early and intensifying later in tim…
The Seagull Bay site—Clovis technology from American Falls on the Eastern Snake River Plain
The Snake River Plain may have served as a corridor for the earliest colonists spreading throughout the New World. It has been observed that the distribution of Clovis period sites and raw material used to produce diagnostic points reflects a detailed understanding of the environment. During the Terminal Pleistocene, there is little evidence of Clovis hunter-gatherers interacting with mega-fauna in the Snake River Plain, despite finding both in t…
Investigating Dismal River obsidian use in central Nebraska
Nineteen obsidian artifacts from surface contexts of probable Dismal River complex sites in the Sand Hills of Nebraska were analyzed via energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry. The artifacts derive from six distinct geological volcanic glass sources. One of the artifacts was made from ash-flow tuff obsidian of the Brown’s Bench chemical type and another from Wild Horse Canyon, Utah obsidian, representing the first documented us…
Trace element characterization of obsidian from the Transcarpathian Ukraine
Obsidian studies in California archaeology
Radiocarbon Dating
It would be hard to think of any physical science technique that has revolutionized archaeology more than radiocarbon dating. Since it was invented by Willard Libby and his colleagues in 1949 (earn
On the sources and uses of obsidian during the Paleolithic and Mesolithic in Poland
Recent Research on Obsidian from Missouri Archaeological Sites
Obsidian has been noted at archaeological sites in the Midwest for over 160 years, although very few artifacts made from this material are recorded in archaeological contexts in Missouri. Background research revealed that only 16 obsidian artifacts from 13 sites had been documented from the state and that only 5 of the specimens had been geochemically analyzed and attributed to a source. Recent excavations at the Droste site (23PI1291), a Late Wo…
Prehistory of Nevada's northern tier
Rock Country, Upper Lahontan Basin, Upper Humboldt Plains, and Thousand Springs Valley (fig.2).None of these regions have significant stands of pinyon, major watercourses, or extensive wetland areas.Despite the lack of these habitats, which were so critical to ethnographic groups living in the more southerly, core areas of the Great Basin, the project corridor was used by many people throughout the prehistoric past.These occupations were not cons…
Prehistoric Obsidian Conveyance in the Eastern Great Basin
Source analysis of obsidian debitage from two Early Archaic sites in Nebraska
We report results of the geochemical analysis of three obsidian objects from two Early Archaic Logan Creek complex, sites in Nebraska, 25FT376 and 25GY12. These are the only obsidian artifacts of this age on the Central Plains and are the oldest geochemically analyzed obsidian specimens from the region. All are identified to the Malad, Idaho, source area. A brief discussion places the objects in a regional context
The Flint Caches of Västerbotten, Sweden
The Distribution and Contents of the Caches
Bjurselet
Endnotes
Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence as a Tool for Archaeologists
Lithic Source Use and Paleoarchaic Foraging Territories in the Great Basin
Paleoarchaic (11.5-8.0 ka) occupants of the Great Basin encountered numerous lithic sources as they moved across foraging territories. Source provenance and lithic technologic analyses applied to the tools manufactured from these source materials elucidate several aspects of mobility, including the geographic scale of material conveyance and extent and possible routes of population movement. This research indicates that central Great Basin groups…
Intrasource Chemical Variability of Artefact-Quality Obsidians from the Casa Diablo Area, California
The Coso volcanic field reexamined
Obsidian from the Coso locality, Inyo County, California, has long been regarded by archaeologists as a single “source.” However, studies by the U.S. Geological Survey have provided evidence of geochemical variability among flows within the volcanic field. to determine whether these geochemical distinctions could be applied productively to archaeological research, nondestructive x‐ray fluorescence analyses were conducted on samples recently colle…
Age and exploitation of obsidian from the Medicine Lake Highland, California
Prehistory of Nevada's northern tier
Rock Country, Upper Lahontan Basin, Upper Humboldt Plains, and Thousand Springs Valley (fig.2).None of these regions have significant stands of pinyon, major watercourses, or extensive wetland areas.Despite the lack of these habitats, which were so critical to ethnographic groups living in the more southerly, core areas of the Great Basin, the project corridor was used by many people throughout the prehistoric past.These occupations were not cons…
Another Look at Hopewell Obsidian Studies
Hatch et al. (1990) recently presented the results of research on the sources and ages of obsidian artifacts from four Hopewell sites in Illinois and Ohio. The present comment identifies ambiguities in artifact-to-source attributions that compromise the subsequent source-specific obsidian-hydration objectives of the study. Examination of obsidian-hydration rim-measurement resolution and associated error estimates, disagreements about the validity…
New Findings On Obsidian Source Utilization In Iowa
In a recent paper summarizing the pre historic distribution of obsidian in Iowa, Ander son et al. (1986) show that the majority of this material was imported from quarry sources in the vicinity of Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The trace element compositions of eight of the 31 specimens in their sample, however, did not match any of the known parent obsidian sources in the local inventory. Specifically, they identified three …
Preclassic Obsidian Procurement and Utilization at the Maya Site of Colha, Belize
This study explores the early use of obsidian at the Maya site of Colha in northern Belize and the implications that variations in source distribution have for the site and its regional connections. Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of 104 specimens of obsidian from Preclassic contexts at the site identified El Chayal obsidian as the most common overall followed closely by that from San Martin Jilotepeque. Ixtepeque obsidian, …
Prehistoric Obsidian Conveyance in the Eastern Great Basin
The Chemical Composition of Some Archaeologically Significant Flint From Denmark and Sweden
Flint was one of the most widely employed raw materials for artefact manufacture in Denmark and Sweden during the Stone Age, and it continued to be used during subsequent periods. Prehistoric flint mining and lithic manufacturing studies in these countries have attracted considerable attention, but there have been no recent attempts to chemically characterize the geological source materials. This paper builds on a pilot study ( Hughes et al . 201…
On the sources and uses of obsidian during the Paleolithic and Mesolithic in Poland
Source Area Analysis of Obsidian Flakes from a Lower Loup Phase Site in Nebraska
Non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis was applied to obsidian flakes from 25LP8, a Lower Loupphase site in Nebraska. All flakes have the same trace element composition as volcanic glasses of the Cerro del Media chemical type, located in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico.Key Words: obsidiansource analysisLower Loup phase
California Archaeology and Linguistic Prehistory
This paper examines the historical conditions that influenced the relationship between anthropology and California archaeology, with particular emphasis on how this longstanding association conditioned the goals of archaeological research in the state. One enduring element of this legacy is the wedding of historical linguistic reconstructions with archaeological data to create a California linguistic prehistory. The underlying assumptions of this…
Microblade technology, obsidian sourcing, and the Cody complex in early Holocene Alberta
Despite being an ephemeral presence in Plains archaeological assemblages, the distribution and technical specificity of early Holocene (Denali complex) microblade technology makes it readily identifiable and comparable to similarly-aged Paleoindian projectile point occurrences. In this paper we review the co-occurrence of Denali and Cody complex materials in Alberta, in particular the obsidian and Knife River Flint (KRF) artifacts of these two ea…
Obsidian in Early Woodland Contexts in the Upper Mississippi Valley
The purpose of this paper is to report the occurrence of obsidian artifacts from Early Woodland contexts in southwestern Wisconsin. During 1995 excavations at the Tillmont site (47CR460), seven obsidian flakes were recovered from a deeply buried paleosol in association with a virtually 'pure' component of the Indian Isle phase, a local variant of the Early Woodland Marion Culture (Stoltman 1990:242-244). Geochemical analyses of four of the flakes…
Western Oneota Obsidian
Exotic lithic raw materials provide insight into exchange relations and mobility of prehistoric populations. Toward this end, obsidian flakes from two western Oneota sites, Warne in north central Kansas and Blood Run in northwestern Iowa, were sourced using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. With the exception of two artifacts from Warne, all were traced to parent obsidian sources in the northwestern Plains and Plateau regions. Obsidian pieces from…
Obsidian studies in California archaeology
Source analysis of obsidian debitage from two Early Archaic sites in Nebraska
We report results of the geochemical analysis of three obsidian objects from two Early Archaic Logan Creek complex, sites in Nebraska, 25FT376 and 25GY12. These are the only obsidian artifacts of this age on the Central Plains and are the oldest geochemically analyzed obsidian specimens from the region. All are identified to the Malad, Idaho, source area. A brief discussion places the objects in a regional context
Leonard Rockshelter Revisited
Robert Heizer excavated Leonard Rockshelter (26Pe14) in western Nevada more than 70 years ago. He described stratified cultural deposits spanning the Holocene. He also reported obsidian flakes purportedly associated with late Pleistocene sediments, suggesting that human use extended even farther back in time. Because Heizer never produced a final report, Leonard Rockshelter faded into obscurity despite the possibility that it might contain a Clov…
Obsidian Source Use Within the Alföld Linear Pottery culture in Slovakia
This paper reports the results of non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of 186 obsidian artifacts from eight archaeological sites attributable to the Alföld Linear Pottery Culture (c. 5600-4900 cal BC). This is the largest instrument-based study yet conducted and reported for Alföld Linear Pottery Culture (ALPC) artifacts from Slovakia, where ALPC chipped lithic assemblages are almost entirely composed of obsidian …
Reports
A bipolar flake of obsidian was recovered from the Brown Bluff Site, Arkansas. This specimen, made from volcanic glass (obsidian) of the Malad chemical type of southern Idaho, is the first recovered from any professional excavation in Arkansas, and currently is the most distant geochemically documented occurrence of Malad obsidian. Microwear analysis revealed no convincing evidence for use of the artifact as a tool.Key Words: obsidian;x-ray fluor…
A Source Study of Obsidian from the Infinity Site (14MY305), Kansas
Three obsidian flakes were recovered from the multicomponent Infinity site (14MY305) in southeast Kansas. Two flakes large enough(> 1 em) for provenance analysis via x-ray fluorescence were manufactured from obsidian of the Malad, Idaho, chemical type. Over time, the flakes have come to be explicitly associated with the Middle Woodland Havana tradition Cuesta phase and have been used to link it, improbably, to the Hopewell Interaction Sphere. Whi…
Perspectives on the Distribution of Obsidians in San Diego County, California
Artifact-to-source assignments were made on over 200 obsidian artifacts from San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties, California, using non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis. In addition to providing new data on the spatial distributions of Obsidian Butte and Coso Hot Springs volcanic glasses in extreme southern California, results of the present study call into question the empirical utility of previous distance-decay models. Pre…
An Early Neolithic house in the Foothills
Material conveyance in the Southern California Bight
Inhabited by Native Americans for at least 13,000 years, California’s Channel Islands were isolated from the adjacent mainland throughout the Quaternary. A rich archaeological record demonstrates that island peoples thrived for millennia, with access to abundant marine and terrestrial resources. Exchange with mainlanders for various goods is well documented, with long-distance material conveyance occurring very early and intensifying later in tim…
The Woman in Donne's Anniversaries
Field survey techniques far estimating the normal performance of vernacular buildings prior to earthquakes
Age and exploitation of obsidian from the Medicine Lake Highland, California
The effects of flooding upon buildings in developing countries
The genera] effects of flooding on buildings and structural materials in developing countries are comprehensively reviewed. The aim of the paper is to stimulate further field based research as to how and what type of building improvements can be introduced, given the prevailing economic and cultural constraints of many communities, and to examine the appropriateness of floodproofing measures in developing countries where there are often few flood…
Earthquake Engineering Conference, California 21st–28th July 1984
Seismic vulnerability at the historic City of Noto, Southern Italy
Colloquium on Earth Construction Technologies, Brussels, 10-12th December 1984
Perspectives on the Distribution of Obsidians in San Diego County, California
Artifact-to-source assignments were made on over 200 obsidian artifacts from San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties, California, using non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis. In addition to providing new data on the spatial distributions of Obsidian Butte and Coso Hot Springs volcanic glasses in extreme southern California, results of the present study call into question the empirical utility of previous distance-decay models. Pre…
Observations from the Eefit mission to the Mexico earthquake September 1985
New Findings On Obsidian Source Utilization In Iowa
In a recent paper summarizing the pre historic distribution of obsidian in Iowa, Ander son et al. (1986) show that the majority of this material was imported from quarry sources in the vicinity of Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The trace element compositions of eight of the 31 specimens in their sample, however, did not match any of the known parent obsidian sources in the local inventory. Specifically, they identified three …
The Coso volcanic field reexamined
Obsidian from the Coso locality, Inyo County, California, has long been regarded by archaeologists as a single “source.” However, studies by the U.S. Geological Survey have provided evidence of geochemical variability among flows within the volcanic field. to determine whether these geochemical distinctions could be applied productively to archaeological research, nondestructive x‐ray fluorescence analyses were conducted on samples recently colle…
California Archaeology and Linguistic Prehistory
This paper examines the historical conditions that influenced the relationship between anthropology and California archaeology, with particular emphasis on how this longstanding association conditioned the goals of archaeological research in the state. One enduring element of this legacy is the wedding of historical linguistic reconstructions with archaeological data to create a California linguistic prehistory. The underlying assumptions of this…
Another Look at Hopewell Obsidian Studies
Hatch et al. (1990) recently presented the results of research on the sources and ages of obsidian artifacts from four Hopewell sites in Illinois and Ohio. The present comment identifies ambiguities in artifact-to-source attributions that compromise the subsequent source-specific obsidian-hydration objectives of the study. Examination of obsidian-hydration rim-measurement resolution and associated error estimates, disagreements about the validity…
Archaeology, geology, and geochemistry in obsidian provenance studies
Intrasource Chemical Variability of Artefact-Quality Obsidians from the Casa Diablo Area, California
Obsidian Hydration Dating
Source Area Analysis of Obsidian Flakes from a Lower Loup Phase Site in Nebraska
Non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis was applied to obsidian flakes from 25LP8, a Lower Loupphase site in Nebraska. All flakes have the same trace element composition as volcanic glasses of the Cerro del Media chemical type, located in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico.Key Words: obsidiansource analysisLower Loup phase
A Source Study of Obsidian from the Infinity Site (14MY305), Kansas
Three obsidian flakes were recovered from the multicomponent Infinity site (14MY305) in southeast Kansas. Two flakes large enough(> 1 em) for provenance analysis via x-ray fluorescence were manufactured from obsidian of the Malad, Idaho, chemical type. Over time, the flakes have come to be explicitly associated with the Middle Woodland Havana tradition Cuesta phase and have been used to link it, improbably, to the Hopewell Interaction Sphere. Whi…
Archaeological Obsidian Studies
Western Oneota Obsidian
Exotic lithic raw materials provide insight into exchange relations and mobility of prehistoric populations. Toward this end, obsidian flakes from two western Oneota sites, Warne in north central Kansas and Blood Run in northwestern Iowa, were sourced using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. With the exception of two artifacts from Warne, all were traced to parent obsidian sources in the northwestern Plains and Plateau regions. Obsidian pieces from…
Reports
A bipolar flake of obsidian was recovered from the Brown Bluff Site, Arkansas. This specimen, made from volcanic glass (obsidian) of the Malad chemical type of southern Idaho, is the first recovered from any professional excavation in Arkansas, and currently is the most distant geochemically documented occurrence of Malad obsidian. Microwear analysis revealed no convincing evidence for use of the artifact as a tool.Key Words: obsidian;x-ray fluor…
Lithic Source Use and Paleoarchaic Foraging Territories in the Great Basin
Paleoarchaic (11.5-8.0 ka) occupants of the Great Basin encountered numerous lithic sources as they moved across foraging territories. Source provenance and lithic technologic analyses applied to the tools manufactured from these source materials elucidate several aspects of mobility, including the geographic scale of material conveyance and extent and possible routes of population movement. This research indicates that central Great Basin groups…
Preclassic Obsidian Procurement and Utilization at the Maya Site of Colha, Belize
This study explores the early use of obsidian at the Maya site of Colha in northern Belize and the implications that variations in source distribution have for the site and its regional connections. Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of 104 specimens of obsidian from Preclassic contexts at the site identified El Chayal obsidian as the most common overall followed closely by that from San Martin Jilotepeque. Ixtepeque obsidian, …
Obsidian in Early Woodland Contexts in the Upper Mississippi Valley
The purpose of this paper is to report the occurrence of obsidian artifacts from Early Woodland contexts in southwestern Wisconsin. During 1995 excavations at the Tillmont site (47CR460), seven obsidian flakes were recovered from a deeply buried paleosol in association with a virtually 'pure' component of the Indian Isle phase, a local variant of the Early Woodland Marion Culture (Stoltman 1990:242-244). Geochemical analyses of four of the flakes…
The Flint Caches of Västerbotten, Sweden
Archaeology (45 works) · Geography (40 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (37 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (34 works) · Geology (31 works) · History (22 works) · Geology (20 works) · History (20 works) · Geochemistry (11 works) · Paleontology (11 works)