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University of Alberta Portable-XRF Analysis of Archaeological Obsidian from Rebun Island, Japan by Sean C. Lynch A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Anthropology ©Sean C. Lynch Fall 2013 Edmonton, Alberta Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission. Abstract Ongoing excavations on Rebun Island have demonstrated the prehistoric use of obsidian persistently from the Middle Jomon (5400−4300 cal.YBP) to Okhotsk (1500−750 YBP) periods. Since obsidian does not occur naturally on Rebun Island, only the transportation of raw materials and/or finished tools over great distances accounts for their presence there. Previous research in northeast Asia has shown that movement of obsidian from various sources on Hokkaido played a vital role in the entire lithic industry since the Paleolithic. As cultures varied in Northern Japan from the Middle Jomon to the Okhotsk periods, the patterns of source exploitation are also believed to have changed. This expectation is tested by evaluating the sources of archaeological obsidian recovered from three archaeological sites on Rebun Island (Uedomari 3, Kafukai 1, and Hamanaka 2) through portable-XRF. This method provides new insights into the dynamics of resource procurement and distribution among Middle Jomon to Okhotsk hunter–gatherers on Rebun Island. Acknowledgements There are many individuals who I would like to acknowledge for their guidance and insight in helping me to complete this thesis. Their acknowledgement here does not solely pertain to their help in my research, but also for their friendship and support along the way. First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank my supervisor Dr. A. Weber, for allowing me to participate in the research of the Baikal-Hokkaido Archaeology Project. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr. A. Weber for his ever present guidance during my scholastic pursuits at the University of Alberta. I would also like to acknowledge my Japanese colleagues for allowing me to conduct research in their beautiful and enigmatic country. Of these colleagues, I would primarily like to thank Dr. H. Kato for introducing me to Japanese culture and supplying me with the necessary contacts through which I acquired my thesis data. Acknowledgements also need to be made for Drs. T. Tomoda and M. Mukai for assisting me in obtaining my reference collection while in Asahikawa. Dr. M. Eda, Dr. T. Amano, and Ms. H. Ono are also acknowledged for their help in accessing and interpreting the collections held in the Hokkaido University Museum. Additionally, I wish to thank my fellow graduate students from Japan, Mr. Y. Hirasawa, Mr. R. Iwanami, and Dr. M. Okada, for their friendship and assistance while collecting my data in Hokkaido. I must also acknowledge Drs. A. Locock, J. Duke, I. Fraser-Shapiro, S.C. Phillips, and Mr. E. Gjesfjeld for their help in completing and interpreting the geochemical analyses presented in this thesis. Thanks are due to BHAP project manager Ms. A. Hiob for ensuring that I was always taken care of while abroad or at the University of Alberta. I would also like to acknowledge my funding agencies which include the Baikal-Hokkaido Archaeology Project, the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alberta, and the Canadian Circumpolar Institute. Their financial support facilitated all my scholarship while attending the University of Alberta over the past two years. Above all else, I would like to acknowledge my family for their constant love and support. For not, none of my achievements while at the University of Alberta would have been possible. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Chapter One – Introduction ................................................................................. 1 1.1 Thesis Scope ...................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Thesis Content ................................................................................................... 3 Chapter Two – Geographic Context of Hokkaido and Rebun Islands ............. 6 2.1 The Japanese Archipelago ................................................................................. 6 2.2 Geological Structures ......................................................................................... 7 2.3 Topography ...................................................................................................... 10 2.4 Environmental History ..................................................................................... 12 Chapter Three – Archaeological Context of Hokkaido and Rebun Islands ... 18 3.1 Holocene Cultural History of Hokkaido and Rebun Islands−An Overview .... 18 3.2 The Jomon Period ............................................................................................ 21 3.3 The Epi-Jomon ................................................................................................. 31 3.4 The Okhotsk Culture ........................................................................................ 33 3.5 The Satsumon Culture ...................................................................................... 37 3.6 Archaeological Context of the Uedomari 3 Site .............................................. 38 3.5 Archaeological Context of the Kafukai 1 Site ................................................. 40 3.6 Archaeological Context of the Hamanaka 2 (Nakatani) Site ........................... 45 3.7 Summary .......................................................................................................... 47 Chapter Four – Methods of Obsidian Provenance Studies in Archaeology ... 49 4.1 Overview .......................................................................................................... 49 4.2 Obsidian Provenance Studies and the Archaeological Record ........................ 51 4.3 Obsidian Formation Processes ......................................................................... 53 4.4 Obsidian Geochemical Structures .................................................................... 55 4.5 Non-Portable Methods of Geochemical Analysis ............................................ 57 4.6 Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry ..................................................... 64 4.7 Summary .......................................................................................................... 70 4.8 Materials and Methods ..................................................................................... 71 4.8.1 Sample Selection ............................................................................... 71 4.8.2 Portable-XRF Equipment .................................................................. 72 4.8.3 Scanning Procedure .......................................................................... 72 4.8.4 Analytical Procedure ......................................................................... 74 Chapter Five – Review of Archaeological Obsidian Provenance Studies in Northeast Asia ...................................................................................................... 76 5.1 Hokkaido .......................................................................................................... 77 5.2 Honshu ............................................................................................................. 80 5.3 Sakhalin ............................................................................................................ 81 5.4 The Kuril Islands .............................................................................................. 83 5.5 Kamchatka ....................................................................................................... 85 5.6 The Amur River Basin and Primorskii Krai .................................................... 86 5.7 Summary .......................................................................................................... 87 Chapter Six – Results and Discussion ................................................................ 89 6.1 Data Evaluation ................................................................................................ 89 6.2 Reference Materials ......................................................................................... 93 6.3 Archaeological Materials ................................................................................. 97 6.4 Data Analysis ................................................................................................. 100 6.5 Summary ........................................................................................................ 106 Chapter Seven – Conclusions ............................................................................ 108 7.1 Summary of Research and Comments